The Indigo Spell
by SavannahKristen
Summary: *THIS WAS WRITTEN AND COMPLETED BEFORE RICHELLE'S, THE INDIGO SPELL, WAS RELEASED* Sydney is more special than she could have ever imagined, but the magic that runs through her blood comes with a deadly price. Blood doesn't lie. But people do. Set after the first chapter of The Indigo Spell.
1. Chapter 1 The Full Moons & the Crescents

**__*****BEFORE YOU READ THIS, PLEASE NOTE THIS ENTIRE STORY WAS WRITTEN AND COMPLETED BEFORE RICHELLE MEAD'S, THE INDIGO SPELL, WAS OUT.***

**Hey Guys! This fanfic is what I think will happen after the first chapter of The Indigo Spell. If you haven't read it, you can find a link to it on Richelle Mead's website if you go to her blog. It's best to read it before reading this fanfic.**

**Also, in case you haven't read the official description of The Indigo Spell:**

_**"In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch — a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood –or else she might be next."**_

**I hope that you guys like this version of The Indigo Spell and I promise to do my best to do Richelle justice. It's not possible, but I'll try. This fanfic will have a lot of Adrian & Sydney moments, but don't expect all fluff. A lot of other important plots will be going too. (:**

**Chapter One**

**The Full Moons & The Crescents**

Unsurprisingly, sleep did not find me when I returned back to the comfort of my bed. Ms. Terwilliger had been silent, lost in thought on most of the ride home. She'd appeared so frightened that I didn't dare ask any more questions, not yet. I was fearful of the answers.

What did this mean? Her words from nearly a month ago echoed in my head.

_"You worry that this power will be abused? You're right. It happens all the time, which is why we need good, moral people who can counter those who use the magic for selfish and nefarious reasons."_

Was that why Ms. Terwilliger had looked so afraid? Was this older sister of hers someone that used magic for wicked reasons? I thought back to the picture, and a shudder ran through me. I pulled the blanket up as though there was a breeze in my quiet dorm. Something about the woman in the picture haunted me. I didn't know what disturbed me most: the woman in the picture herself, Ms. Terwilliger's face when I told her that her sister was in Los Angeles, or the fact that I was somehow in danger.

What on earth would Ms. Terwilliger's sister want with me? I was Sydney Sage, Sydney _boring _Sage, Sydney _won't fraternize with vampires_ Sage, Sydney _never breaks a rule _Sage, Sydney _purely human _Sage.

But was I really that Sydney anymore?

No, I wasn't. And now, I _couldn't_ be.

My lack of sleep was obvious to my "family" at breakfast the next morning. I'd hoped they wouldn't pay attention, but they always did because they cared.

They each had a different approach at concern.

Angeline's raw sensitivity was quite gratifying. "You look like hell, Sydney."

Eddie's feeble attempt to sensitize Angeline's remark only made matters worse. "You look like you didn't get enough sleep . . ." He frowned, analyzing whether his words could've been construed as offensive or not.

Jill's sweet blabbering just put a cheap bandage over the wound. "You don't look that bad. You just look like you're . . . tired. When you don't get enough sleep the night before, the next day you usually oversleep because you're tired and then you don't have time to like do much with your appearance . . ." She took a deep breath. "I mean, you look fine, Sydney."

I stared at each of them, and then shook my head. "None of you consider entering the psychology career path."

Angeline frowned. "Why would I want to work with animals?"

We all turned our heads to look at her. Eddie sighed in exasperation and began to explain that psychology and zoology were two very different fields. Jill gave me a small shrug as if to say, "What do you do?" I knew that Eddie and Angeline growing closer bothered her more than she let on. She watched them, a pained look in her light green eyes. Angeline traced her fingers across Eddie's arm suggestively, and I prayed no one would look over here. They were "cousins" after all.

The first morning bell rang, and we all went our separate ways. I went through my classes numbly, working harder than ever not to fall asleep. In Ms. Terwilliger's class, I didn't try to hide how tired I was. She knew why, after all. She seemed to be avoiding me, only glancing at me when she had too. When the time came for my independent study with her, I found myself looking forward to it, something I'd never expected would happen. When I walked into the dimly lit classroom, she smiled at me wearily.

"Hello Miss Melbourne. Here," she patted a chair she'd pulled in front of her desk. "Have a seat."

I glowered at her unnecessary nickname for me and sank down into the chair as requested. I was too tired for any of my usual resistance to being chummy with her. I wasn't too tired to ask questions though. I was still Sydney Sage, after all.

"What _was_ that last night? And don't tell me it was a location spell. I know that."

Ms. Terwilliger smiled a rueful smile, her eyes looking tired. She glanced up at the ceiling dramatically. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask questions, but, alas," she sighed and met my eyes again, "I can certainly understand why." She took a deep breath. "Last night, I asked you to help me locate my sister, Simone." It wasn't a question, just a statement to make sure we were starting on the same page.

I nodded, rubbing my eyes in attempt to wake myself up more.

"Well, a while ago I mentioned that there were people who used our magic for selfish and nefarious reasons."

I nodded again, my stomach beginning to clench.

"My sister is one of those people," she said gravely. My instincts had been right then. I swallowed, thinking back to Simone's picture and how cold she had looked.

"I figured that it might be something like that," I told her when I could find my voice. I needed to get my next question out. It had been burning inside of me all day. "But you said I had to learn to protect myself; you made it sound like I'm in danger. Am I?"

"Yes," Ms. Terwilliger stated, her voice taking on that serious quality I'd heard last night. It made me even more nervous. I yearned for the days when she had seemed like nothing more than a scattered history teacher with an unhealthy addiction to coffee. "Or if you aren't yet, you will be soon," she added darkly.

"But . . . why? What would your sister want with me?" I finally asked, folding my arms across my chest for warmth.

"Before I answer that, I need you to promise me something."

"Promise you what, ma'am?"

"That no matter who asks you, no matter what loyalties you may have to them, no matter how much they seem to have your best interests at heart, that you will not tell anyone about any of this. You will discuss it with me and only me. Most importantly, Sydney, you _cannot _tell the Alchemists." Ms. Terwilliger leaned across the desk clasping her hands together. Her eyes weighed me, begging me to oblige.

I frowned. What was this? Didn't I have enough secrets going on in my life, enough secrets from the Alchemists especially?

_They keep secrets from you,_ my heart reminded me. _After all, they told you Marcus Finch didn't exist, right? If he doesn't, who's that in the picture you keep in the drawer of your nightstand? They lied to you about that. They told you all vampires were evil; they lied to you about that too._

A new fury swept through me as I pondered their lies. I wouldn't tell the Alchemists anything. They liked keeping secrets? Well, two could play at that game. What the Alchemists didn't know wouldn't hurt them . . . or me.

"I promise, ma'am," I said, surprised at the confidence in my voice.

Ms. Terwilliger relaxed slightly. "Well, Sydney, there are two types of witches and warlocks in our world. There are those that use the magic for good, and those that use the magic for evil. The good witches and warlocks, well, we refer to ourselves as the _Lunalas_, or Crescents, in English. The evil ones refer to themselves as the _Plena Lunas_, or Full Moons, in English. My sister belongs to the Full Moons. They are founded on power and corruption. They do not like good; they fear it. They seek to destroy it."

My head was spinning. How had I never heard of any of this? How had I never heard of witches or warlocks or this divide that split them?

More importantly, how was _I_ . . . a witch? It had been different thinking of Ms. Terwilliger as one. I'd clung to the hope that it was her, not me. Hearing the words witches and warlocks out loud brought a new sense of realness to everything. In a world full of chemicals and vampires, it really shouldn't have surprised me, but there was no magic in my family. Was it just a random thing? Was I just a witch born into an Alchemist family?

_"Damn, Sage," _a familiar voice sounded in my head, "_If so, you've got some seriously bad luck."_

I missed Adrian's commentary so much, my brain would randomly remind me what he would say in certain situations. It was annoying, and at times, very saddening.

"Is that why Simone is after me? Is it because I'm 'good' or something?" I asked Ms. Terwilliger. She rested her head in her hands seeming even more stressed than before.

"Not exactly," she said. "I-" she looked up, and something about me seemed to make her incapable of speech for a moment. Her look became glazed, as if she were looking at me but not actually seeing me.

"Um, ma'am?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Sorry Sydney," she sighed. "You just remind me so much of someone."

"Who?"

"A former student of mine," she answered. I wanted to press for more, but she changed the subject before I could. "Anyway, it's not really my place to tell you the details of why Simone is after you. I'm already pushing it by telling you what you are and by teaching you magic. Considering the current situation though, both are certainly warranted."

"Not your place? I promised you I wouldn't tell-"

"When I say not my place, Sydney, I mean it's not _my _business to share. I made a promise to someone not to share certain information and I will _not_ break a promise."

"I have a right to know!" I proclaimed, annoyed at all the secrecy that was going on. What on earth did Ms. Terwilliger know about me? I'd known her for less than four months.

"I never said you didn't. But all you _need_ to know for right now is that you're in danger, and you need to protect yourself. Protection needs to be the only thing you focus on."

"I-"

"Enough." Ms. Terwilliger turned to the bookcase beside her desk and pulled out some sort of spell book. She flipped to a page marked with a colorful sticky note and pointed to it. I opened the book to the marked page, and tried to familiarize myself with the basics of the spell as she gathered the ingredients from the back room.

This spell was more complex, a sort of amplified version of the blindness spell I'd casted at the Warrior's arena about a month ago. It required less of my ever-trusty "potpourri" in exchange for more mental focus. The spell's goal was to immobilize the caster's opponent long enough to make an escape. It would freeze the enemy in place, making it nearly impossible for them to move. The stronger the will-power of the caster, the longer their opponent would stay frozen.

Ms. Terwilliger emerged and watched me as I formed the "potpourri". She smiled when I was done.

"Fabulous," she said. "Now," she gestured for me to stand up and walked to the opposite side of the room facing me. "I want you to practice it on me. Recite the incantation you just read and toss the 'potpourri.' Focus solely on me not moving as you do so."

"Ma'am, I don't want to-"

Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand down and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. It won't hurt me. Come on, try it."

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on freezing her in place. I shouted the incantation and tossed a bit of the "potpourri."

Ms. Terwilliger attempted to move and although she had a bit of trouble, she was able to. Her movements were slow though. It was like there were invisible weights on her arms and legs. She eyed me knowingly. "You're not putting enough feeling into it."

This spell had to do with feelings? Oh no. "Feeling? What exactly do you mean by that?"

Ms. Terwilliger thought for a moment, resting a hand on her chin. She could move freely now. "Hmm, let's try this. What really bothers you, Sydney? Tell me."

"People keeping secrets from me," I grumbled pointedly.

She ignored this. "What about the Alchemists? Do they bother you?"

I crossed my arms. "Absolutely not. They are a righteous organization. I support them," I said automatically.

"What about your Moroi friend, the one you brought to my house the night you performed the location spell? Do the Alchemists 'support' your feelings for him?"

"I don't have feelings for him!" I hissed, flushing scarlet.

Ms. Terwilliger seemed outright amused by this. "You don't have feelings for him, or the Alchemists won't allow you to?"

"Now _you're_ bothering me," I growled, clenching the "potpourri" in my hand.

"Oh, you don't want to talk about Adrian? That _is_ his name right?"

"Yes, that's his name, and no I do _not_ want to talk about him!"

Ms. Terwilliger smiled cunningly, like her plan was working. "You feel the emotions swirling in you right now? Channel them. Throw that 'potpourri' at me and shout that incantation with everything you've got."

"This isn't healthy," I stated starkly.

"Funny. That's what I imagine the Alchemists would say about you having feelings for a vampire."

My temper snapped and I flung the "potpourri" at her and shouted the incantation with an intensity I felt but rarely expressed. It felt good, I realized. It was a form of release. Ms. Terwilliger froze where she stood and I leaned back, still on a high from casting the spell. Her small smile broke into a full on grin.

"Excellent," she told me. Her mouth was the only part of her body she could move. "Emotions make magic more powerful. You keep yours so pent up; this might be a successful way for you to get some of them out. If you don't, they'll eventually paralyze you, and make you feel numb inside. You'll become a shell."

Her words hit close to home. I'd felt that way the past few weeks, ever since I'd rejected Adrian. I went through the same motions every day. I got up. I ate breakfast. I went to class. I talked to Jill, Eddie, and Angeline. I did my homework. I went to sleep. There was nothing to look forward to anymore. No more spontaneous adventures, no more humorous e-mails, no more texts, no more phone calls, no more laughter. Eddie, Jill and Angeline had their funny moments, sure, but their antics couldn't compete with Adrian's short attention span, erratic art, or witty quips.

I felt empty inside, hollow. This magic helped me take out the anger, the _pain_, I felt over that.

After thirty seconds or so, Ms. Terwilliger could move again. As soon as she could, the high I'd felt while my thoughts had been spinning out crashed. I sank into the chair behind me, feeling as though I might faint. Ms. Terwilliger retrieved me some cheese and crackers and a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks," I muttered, still a bit shaken from the power I'd used, the things I'd thought, and the information I'd received. I was too exhausted to care about the calories I was consuming.

"Of course." The bell rang and Ms. Terwilliger pulled a stack of papers from a drawer in her desk. "I'm a bit behind on grading. You need to go get some rest; we'll work again tomorrow. On Friday, I'd like you to come over to my house and work for a few hours, unless of course you have previous commitments."

I didn't really like the idea, but I now knew it was necessary. I ran my head through this week's schedule. "No ma'am, I don't. I'll be there."

"Okay. Now go. Relax a bit." I did as told, and I was halfway out of the door when I heard her call my name. "Miss Melbourne?"

I turned tiredly. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry I had to touch on that stuff to get you worked up. It wasn't meant to offend you or make you uncomfortable. It was merely meant to help you channel your power." I knew by "that stuff" she meant Adrian and the Alchemists.

I nodded brusquely. "I understand, ma'am." And then I left the room. I didn't dare look at my reflection in the mirror when I got to my dorm. I had to take the "family" to Clarence's for Jill's feeding in a couple of hours, so I sent Eddie a text saying I was going to try to catch a little rest before time to go. I didn't want the three of them to see how drained I looked now.

I was so tired that sleep came more easily than I'd anticipated. I woke up to my beeping alarm clock with thirty minutes to get ready to go to Clarence's. After one glance in the mirror, I decided to take a quick shower, in an attempt to get rid of my bed hair. I threw on dark washed jeans and a long-sleeved white button up blouse. It was a light fabric, though the long sleeves didn't feel as unbearable as they once would have. It was mid-December, and all of Amberwood would finally be out for winter break this Friday.

Saturday morning, the gang and I would depart on a seven o-clock flight to Pennsylvania. A dhampir named Mikhail, and Sonya Karp, a Moroi woman I'd grown to care about, were planning to get married this coming weekend. They'd insisted we – the "Melrose's" and our "cousin" – come. Jill's feeding tonight was doubling as a meeting to work out all of the planning for our risky trip.

The trip was risky because the wedding's venue was only thirty miles from the Royal Moroi court. In the shadows of that court lurked violent assassins, who wanted nothing more than to kill Jill because she was the only tie keeping the Moroi Queen, Vasilisa Dragomir, on her throne. The idea attending this wedding gave me a very uneasy feeling, but Sonya had insisted, saying Adrian could make a spirit charm to hide Jill's true identity. I wasn't sold on the idea, but I had found it hard to argue with such reasonable logic. As long as no one knew Jill was going to be there, they wouldn't be looking for her, and they wouldn't be able to see through Adrian's charm.

When we arrived at Clarence's, I cringed at the car parked out front. Well, I cringed thinking about its owner. The car itself was shrine-worthy in my book, a 1967, springtime yellow, Ford Mustang. The car belonged to the notorious Moroi, Adrian Ivashkov. I'd known he'd be here, yet I'd still found myself hoping otherwise. We didn't talk anymore; we only met each other's gazes uncomfortably, and sometimes, painfully. Eddie and Angeline stepped out of Latte, and Angeline took Eddie's hand. I frowned, and cast a glance at Jill as we climbed out. Her mood had darkened considerably.

I brushed her hand in a way of comfort. "Are you all right?" I asked.

She brushed a few light brown curls out of her face, her eyes not leaving the ground. "Yeah, I'm okay." She finally glanced up at me, giving me a sympathetic look. "What about you?"

Jill knew what had happened between me and Adrian because of their physic bond, and seemed to have very mixed emotions about it. Right now she was being understanding and sympathetic, but a few nights ago I'd mentioned something about Alchemist business, and she'd growled:

"You put the Alchemists above _everyone_ Sydney. It's a wonder you can stand to be around us monsters."

She'd then apologized awkwardly and slunk back off to her dorm room. Eddie and Angeline had no clue what had happened between me and Adrian, so they had no clue what had caused such an outburst.

"I'm okay," I finally told the princess, pulling myself out of my dark thoughts. "It's just awkward."

Jill nodded. "It is for me too," she pointed out nervously. "You're like a sister to me. I hate having his feelings pounding in my head. They make me feel angry at you, and I'm not. Well, maybe a little," she reconsidered.

I stopped halfway up the path to Clarence's. "You are?"

Jill turned to face me. "Yeah, like . . . Adrian's a wonderful guy underneath everything. He cares so much about you, way more than the Alchemists do. He confessed everything he felt; he poured his heart out to you. He let you in, Sydney, and _you_ didn't let him in. He has no idea how you feel. He can guess, but that's all he has to go on, because you don't tell anyone how you really feel about anything, you know? You shut people out more than he does." Those light green eyes held me. Jill seemed to shake something off. I couldn't tell which of those words had come from her and which had come from Adrian.

They struck me nonetheless, and I took a deep breath before going into Clarence's. Did I appear that emotionally distant to everyone? Was I that cold?

Was I that much like my _father?_

I shivered and pushed the door open, working to keep my emotions in check.

"Jailbait!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim. "Thank God. I was worried I was damned to spend the night alone with the two love-struck dhampirs." Adrian's emerald eyes met my brown ones, and he gave me a curt nod. "Sage."

I gave him a small smile that he didn't return. He put an arm around Jill and led her out of the room, jabbering away about his latest art assignment. An unfamiliar sensation bubbled inside of my chest. The usual fluttery feelings and stuff were there, but they were now mixed by something even more disconcerting. I found myself wishing I was Jill, which was ridiculous. She was a vampire princess in hiding, after all.

_She's got it easy otherwise though, _I found myself thinking bitterly. _She can hang out with Adrian. She can laugh at his jokes. She could have him, if she wanted._

_And_ I_ used to be the one he told all about his artwork._

Eventually we all took a seat in the living room. Jill left to get blood first, and Clarence was "Somewhere being old," as Adrian had respectfully put it.

The plan was set into motion when I walked to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. Adrian was going to charm a necklace for Jill to wear to hide her identity. He'd gotten much better at charms, and could make her look so different there was no way anyone would recognize her. The fact that he hadn't been indulging in alcohol and cigarettes had opened up a world of doors as to what his magic could do. I was so, _so,_ proud of him, and I wished we'd been on good enough terms for me to tell him that.

As I poured a hot cup of coffee, a stack of what appeared to be pictures on the kitchen table caught my eye. I took a sip of my coffee and walked over to investigate. It appeared that Clarence had been taking a walk down memory lane, figuratively at least. There were photos of a five-year-old Lee in a pumpkin costume, from Halloween some many years ago. Pumpkin Lee smiled cheekily at the camera. It was hard to believe such a monster had started off so innocent. People weren't born monsters, really, I decided. They became them.

There was another picture of pumpkin Lee with his arm around a five-year-old fairy Tamara, Clarence's now-dead niece. The next picture was of Tamara, who now appeared to be around my age, sitting on a porch with a guy around my age as well. My mouth nearly dropped open when I realized who the guy was.

Marcus Finch. He appeared to be helping Tamara with her homework, leaning over a book she was holding.

He was as handsome as he had been in the photo Clarence had given me, with straight blonde hair that just brushed his chin, and stunning blue eyes. His smile was genuine, but once again, I noticed the same sadness in those eyes. I wondered what was causing it. Was it from betraying the Alchemists or was it from something else entirely? I moved my eyes to his cheek.

In this picture, I was astounded to see he wore no indigo tattoo yet. On his left cheek, there was an Alchemist lily. I knew he'd been an Alchemist once, but seeing our symbol so clearly etched there on his face struck me. I thought of the indigo tattoo he wore in the photograph I had back at my dorm. That tattoo was an elaborate pattern of crescents, and I found myself wondering why he'd chosen that design. The crescents' main purpose appeared to be to cover the golden lily, but something about that symbol nagged at me. And then it hit me.

"_The good witches and warlocks, well, we refer to ourselves as the Lunalas, or Crescents, in English."_

Ms. Terwilliger's words from our study lesson earlier echoed in my head. Was that why Marcus Finch had chosen to get _crescents_ tattooed over the lily? Did Marcus Finch leave the Alchemists because he was a _warlock_? Did he use _magic_ to do it?

I was about to dismiss these ideas as crazy, until something occurred to me. What would the Alchemists think of Marcus being a warlock? Would they have accepted him?

No, they wouldn't have, I realized. Did that mean they wouldn't accept me either?

"I see you found some of my old pictures," a voice sounded. I spun around to find Clarence standing in the hallway, taking in the scene.

I suddenly felt awful for being so nosey. "I'm sorry, sir. They were here -"

Clarence laughed warmly. "Oh, no, no. Don't apologize dear." He took a seat at the table and motioned for me to sit down across from him. This wasn't what I'd had in mind, but it wasn't as bad as facing Adrian's cold shoulder. "Which one is it you're looking at there?" The old Moroi asked me, pushing his spectacles up his nose.

I smiled and slid the picture across the table. "This one. That's Marcus Finch. He hung around Lee and Tamara a lot?" I asked.

Clarence's smile broadened. "Oh yes. Mainly Tamara. He had a real soft spot for her."

"Oh," I said. "Well, was there anything . . . _special_ about Marcus?"

"There were lots of special things about that young man. He had such a good heart. Always helped me with the kids and always helped me around the house too. He was always helping people, that Marcus. He was the kind of person who if he saw you drop something he'd stop whatever he was doing and help you pick it up." While that information was interesting, Marcus being generous wasn't what I'd meant by special. I wanted to know whether Clarence had ever seen Marcus use magic.

"Did anything else stand out about him?" I asked, praying for some sort of answer. I wanted to know I wasn't the only Alchemist who had been able to use magic. I wanted to know I wasn't a freak.

Clarence's gaze turned inward. "Well, he was very organized. He used to fuss at me about leaving papers out of order and stuff."

I smiled in spite of myself. That was kind of an Alchemist thing.

"He spent a lot of time up in my library. He liked to read. He was really smart. He'd have to repeat things so that I could understand them sometimes."

Those were Alchemist things too. Clarence still hadn't mentioned anything about magic, and my hopes were falling with each passing second. "Mr. Donahue, by special, I mean did he ever-"

"Sage?" Adrian rounded the corner, and my heart leapt up in my chest. "Castile's looking for you. He's ready to go. He's throwing a fit about how Jill and Angeline need to start getting more sleep." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Thank you for showing me some, Mr. Donahue," I said pleasantly. "Would you show me some more of Marcus next time?" I asked hopefully.

Clarence smiled. "Why of course. I'll look for all the ones I've got of him."

I told Clarence thanks and took off down the hall, exceptionally aware of the pained look in Adrian's eyes he watched me go. It mirrored the pain I felt as I left without a word.

**If you like the story and want special sneak peeks and such or want to ask me questions, follow me on Tumblr as **_**savannahkristenwrites.**_** It's a blog especially for the story. (:**


	2. Chapter 2 Marcus Finch

**Chapter Two**

**Marcus Finch**

I dropped the gang back off at Amberwood and drove to Spencer's to get myself a cup of coffee. I'd started going just before our curfew cutoff in order to avoid run-ins with my ex-boyfriend, Brayden. It wasn't that I had feelings for him, or that every time I saw him I could feel my heart breaking. It was nothing more than the fact we were both extremely socially inept. In fact, in a lot of ways, Brayden made me seem like a social butterfly.

I ordered a skinny vanilla latte, and then made my way out to the parking lot, which was considerably emptier than usual. I couldn't help but be a bit paranoid because of Ms. Terwilliger's claims that I was in danger. I kept one hand in my purse, on my faithful "potpourri."

"Sydney?"

I turned at the sound of my name expecting my friend Trey or even Brayden. They both worked here, and either of their shifts could've been changed. What I wasn't prepared for was a huge, bulky man. Before I could yank out the "potpourri" the man shouted a Latin incantation and my purse went flying across the parking lot. I was about to scream when suddenly some magical force sucked the air out of my lungs. I couldn't make a sound.

The man shoved me against a truck which I noticed was a brand new Ford F150. Some part of me cringed at making a dent in such a nice model. My attacker had my hands pinned against the F150, and my legs pinned with his own. There was no hope in freeing my hands, so I attempted to get one of my legs free enough to sock him in the knee.

"Stop fighting," he commanded. The man's dark eyes had a wild, hungry, look in them.

I fought harder. My purse and magic utensils were only a few feet away on the pavement, and if I could make it there I could cast a blindness spell or even an immobility spell long enough to get away. Suddenly, the shape of the necklace he was wearing caught my eye. It was a bright red full moon on a silver chain.

"Simone. You work for Simone," I managed to gasp out.

His grip weakened with surprise, as I had hoped it would. "What do you know about-"

I took advantage of his momentary shock and managed to get one of my legs free enough to kick him in the knee. He shouted a profanity, and I broke free, running at a speed I didn't think most humans ordinarily processed. I picked up my purse, and pulled out my trusty "potpourri" to cast a blindness spell. Before I could shout the incantation, my attacker shouted one of his own.

The spell my attacker had cast was the same as the immobility spell Ms. Terwilliger had worked on with me earlier today. I was frozen in place, unable to move.

My attacker smiled cruelly, seeming satisfied with himself. "This actually works better," he said pleasantly. "Now I can call Simone to come here and get you herself."

"Tell her I said hi, while you're at it Carl." A new voice sounded. The voice was commanding, deep. I didn't recognize it. Carl looked up from me, his focus shifting to something behind me. Suddenly he didn't look so intimidating. He looked . . . terrified. I wanted to turn around to face this new attacker, but the spell kept me from moving.

The voice behind me shouted a loud Latin incantation I didn't recognize. A rush of wind came up out of nowhere, fanning my hair all around my face and smacking Carl in the chest. He grunted and flew against the F150, landing on the hood. I screamed, partly from seeing a man fly as though he weighed nothing more than a feather, and partly from witnessing such powerful magic.

The spell's mysterious caster stepped from behind me and walked over to where Carl lay on the hood. The man wore all black, and had a tall, lean, build, which was paired with blonde hair. Carl continued to shake with fear. His nose was bloody, and his eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing.

The man leaned a little closer to Carl, and sounded too calm for the current scenario as he spoke. "Do try not to get blood on the hood. This _is_ a Ford F150." He paused. "Although, I wouldn't expect _you_ to have respect for such a trademark vehicle. This model looks like it was built in-"

"1989," I blurted out, unable to help myself.

I couldn't see the man's face but his back shook as though he were chuckling. "Correct. It's been very well restored though."

Carl attempted to get up and the man tsked. He pushed Carl back down on the hood, hard, and the anger in his voice gave me goose bumps. "Next time you see Simone, tell her she really has lowered her standards by going after a teenage girl. I would've expected better from a self-acclaimed villainess."

"Just wait until she finds out _you're_ here," Carl whispered, trying to sound bold but failing.

"Just go. And do not touch this girl again. Not unless you want me to kill you," the man hissed, sliding Carl off the hood and nearly making him stumble. Carl staggered quickly over to his car and sped off. I breathed in and out, trying to absorb everything that had just happened. Simone was already after me. I was in more danger than I had originally thought. Something told me Ms. Terwilliger hadn't expected things like this to start so soon either.

The mysterious guy that had saved me watched Carl leave, and then he turned toward me. As scary as this guy was, it seemed like he was on my side. Taking in his handsome profile, there was something eerily familiar about his features. I tried to decipher what it was. He appeared to be in his early, maybe mid-twenties; his eyes were a striking, midnight, blue.

The eyes were familiar, I realized. I knew them . . . but from where?

He seemed to be staring as well, the fierce expression fading into something softer. He muttered a Latin incantation, and I nearly fell over, catching myself with my hands as I hit the pavement.

"That's one of the downsides to that form of an immobility spell. It has a sort of . . . crash," the man said. I stood up crossing my arms over my chest and staring him down.

"Who are you?" I asked. He didn't appear to be a threat, – not to me at least – but being around someone so powerful still made me nervous. My only guess was that he knew Ms. Terwilliger and she had sent him to keep eye on me. Maybe he was in her Witch Club.

He looked as though he were about to answer me when something to do with my face caught his eye. His neutral expression darkened and I was again reminded of how easily he'd made Carl slam against a truck. He shook his head, his midnight eyes narrowed in anger.

"You _are_ an Alchemist," he stated. He didn't sound surprised as much as he did . . . disappointed.

"Yes. I am." I frowned. "Who are you?"

He ignored my question again. "Well, this certainly complicates things. Do you _like_ being an Alchemist?"

"Who _are _you?" I asked for the third time. I didn't know what 'things' this man was referring to or why he was asking me such personal questions.

"Of course you don't like being an _Alchemist_," he spat the last word.

"I-"

"Who would really? The Alchemists' 'noble' duty is built off of nothing more than hatred of what they don't care to understand. If one of their members dare question the "beliefs" the organization teaches they are shipped off to a torture chamber. As an Alchemist you are not only stripped of your right to care for vampires but your right to care for anything at all really." He paused. "The Alchemists don't teach the truth, they teach fear, and fear keeps their members from learning the truth."

I gaped at him, unable to find words right away. No one had ever disrespected the Alchemists that severely, let alone that . . . thoroughly.

"You don't know anything about the Alchemists," I snapped out of habit. Although judging from that speech, he knew that they sent perpetrators to Re-education Centers, which was not public knowledge.

He gave a harsh laugh. "Oh I know _everything_ about the Alchemists. I used to be one."

Understanding flooded through me. _Used_ to be an Alchemist.

An ex-Alchemist.

"Marcus Finch," I breathed incredulously. "You're Marcus Finch."

His features . . . that was why they were familiar. They matched the picture of him in the photograph Clarence had given me and the one I'd just seen, aside from the fact that he'd aged. He was also obviously a warlock. Well, that answered one of my questions. But it raised a whole lot more.

"So it would seem," Marcus said flatly. He looked me over. "Come on. You're coming with me." He walked over to me and grabbed my arm, and then he began dragging me across the parking lot. He was quite direct I noted. I started to squirm.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I nudged him hard in the gut with my elbow and he didn't as much flinch. Instead he flung me around to face him so that he could look straight into my eyes.

"You're coming with me, Sydney," he said evenly. Something told me if I didn't comply he would just stuff me in his silver Jaguar anyway.

"How do you know my name?" This was getting ridiculous.

He had the audacity to roll his eyes at me. "You ask a lot of questions, even for a scientist."

"I'm _not _coming with you. I don't even _know_ you!" I shouted. There was no way I was getting in a car with this rogue Alchemist that mysteriously knew my name, regardless of whether he had saved my life or not. I reached in my purse with my free hand for my "potpourri" and shouted the Latin incantation for the ever-trusty blindness spell. Marcus let go of me long enough for me to break free and I bolted.

After I'd made it about two feet, I felt my body hit the pavement, some magical force pushing me down. Marcus walked and stood over me. He had cast a spell without even saying the incantation out loud. Some invisible wall was forcing me down, making it impossible for me to get up.

He sighed, his deep blue eyes looking very tired all of the sudden. "I can't explain everything to you here. It's too dangerous. You're an intelligent girl, so why I can certainly understand the qualms you have about getting in a stranger's car, you also have a crazy witch after you who wants nothing more than to put your head on a stick. I know Jacqueline Terwilliger. I'm an ex-Alchemist, yes, a very powerful warlock, yes, but I promise you this Sydney: I have no interest in hurting you."

I stared up into those eyes, the eyes from the picture, and an odd feeling of . . . safety washed over me. Looking into Marcus' eyes, I saw no deceit, no danger, at least not at the moment. Yes, it was true that getting into the car with a stranger was not something I would've normally done, but I finally nodded my head as a silent agreement.

Besides, I thought, if he'd wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have saved me.

When I first sat in the car, I asked what would come of Latte, to which Marcus vaguely replied "someone will pick her up." I started to argue this, but he ignored my protests. After a few more minutes of riding in silence, I finally asked where we were going.

"I believe you know Clarence Donahue," Marcus said, eyes never leaving the road.

"How do you know . . . never mind. Yes, of course. We're going to his house?"

"It is the safest place around here. A Full Moon like Simone or any of her henchmen wouldn't dream of bothering a spirit user."

"Clarence is a spirit user?" I stared at Marcus incredulously.

"Yes. Why else would he have an entire cabinet full of liquor? Why else would he slip in and out of coherence like he does? Well, not factoring in what happened with his son and all."

A lot about the old vampire was suddenly starting to make sense. Would Adrian be as incoherent as Clarence when he was old? I shuddered. Certainly he could get a hold on the magic before it got that bad . . .

I was content with silence until a few of Marcus' words replayed in my mind. "Why wouldn't a Full Moon bother a spirit user?"

"All vampires originally came from witches and warlocks. Vampirism started off as a curse but evolved into an actual gene. Spirit magic was given to the Moroi by the Crescents, as a way to balance out the evil the Full Moon's created when they made Strigoi."

"That's why spirit magic can restore a Strigoi," I whispered, my voice full of wonder.

"Everything in the world is made to be balanced," Marcus said astutely. "There is no evil that can destroy all good, and sadly, there is no good that can destroy all evil."

I stared at him, and tried to imagine him talking down all of the Warriors. Listening to the power, the wisdom in his voice, I could picture their bloodthirsty faces becoming gradually ashamed as he spoke. I felt a strange jolt of admiration for Marcus, as wrong as was to admire someone who had betrayed the Alchemists. I thought back to his long speech about them earlier.

_"The Alchemists don't teach the truth, they teach fear . . ."_

Replaying those words, it was like a hammer began chipping away at wall. Behind that wall was something I didn't want to think about, but there was suddenly just enough of a crack that some of the thoughts made themselves known.

Being an Alchemist had nothing to do with _my_ beliefs, I realized. I was still an Alchemist because I was afraid of facing the unknown, afraid of accepting that everything I'd ever been taught was a lie. And most of all, I was afraid of what they would do to me if I betrayed them and became my own person. I was afraid of how my father would hate me for the rest of his life.

But was the hope that he might someday love me worth me spending the rest of my life hating myself?

_No, no it wasn't._

Marcus climbed out of the silver Jag, and motioned for me to follow him inside. I was going to offer to show him how to get to the living room, but he walked ahead, navigating his way through the twists and turns as though he'd been here as recently as yesterday.

Clarence was sprawled out in his trusty recliner in the living room, dozing off.

Marcus shook his head then began walking to the kitchen. I followed, not wanting to disturb the sleeping vampire.

Marcus opened the fridge and pulled out two water bottles, handing one to me. We sat across from each other at the kitchen table and I noticed Clarence had moved all of his pictures. I felt pretty awkward, and though I was not good at reading social cues, Marcus seemed a bit uncomfortable too.

"Clarence is a kind soul," he said earnestly, nodding his head back towards the living room. "It's horrible what happened with his son. I used to know Lee." He said the last words quite stiffly. "I heard he's dead now? Well, I can't say he didn't have it coming," Marcus said harshly. "'An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth . . .'"

I took a sip of the water, growing uneasy from the bitterness in his voice. "Lee is dead," I finally answered. "I asked Clarence about you because the Warriors told me you betrayed the Alchemists." Saying the last few words aloud made me flinch, but I continued. "Clarence said you saved him from the Warriors, a few years back."

Marcus' face shifted to disgust. "The Warriors . . . a pure example of how humans can be monsters." He shook his head, seeming to shake off bad memories. "But yeah, I did save Clarence." He changed the subject and peered at me curiously, the hint of a smile tugging on his lips. "I hear you gave quite the speech over at the Warrior's compound about a month or so ago. You were trying to get them to release a Moroi woman they'd captured."

How did he know all of this? "Yeah. It didn't work. I tried, though."

"Why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do," I said immediately.

He stared at me for a long moment. "You don't sound anything like your father."

I felt my face scrunch up at the mention. "You knew my father? Jared?"

He frowned. "We used to be inseparable."

"I didn't think he would be inseparable with an ex-Alchemist."

"Hence my use of the words 'used to be,'" he said wryly. "Jared worked with me when I was younger. I did a lot of my initial training with him." There was a slight bitterness to his tone. I looked down and took another sip of my water, lost in thought. My father had never mentioned training anyone other than me. Marcus pulled me out of my thoughts by asking me a very surprising question.

"Does he treat you well, Jared?"

I nearly spit out my water. "What? Why would you ask something like that?"

Something flashed in Marcus' eyes. "He never was the warmest person. He was cold, calculating. If the Alchemists said it was the truth, it was the truth." Marcus sighed, seeming to be thinking how best to phrase his next words. "I just hope he treats you better than he treated me."

I was no longer mad, but curious. "What did he do?"

Marcus looked down, and it was odd to see someone so powerful look so susceptible. "I don't want to stain your opinion of him with mine," he said matter-of-factly.

"No danger of that," I blurted out bitterly. Marcus looked up then, a strange anger flashing in his eyes. I nearly flinched.

"So he doesn't treat you well," he growled, his words not a question. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?" He grumbled to himself.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

Marcus looked at me, seeming to swallow his anger. "Nothing."

I was growing irritated. "I keep asking you questions but you won't answer them." Just like Ms. Terwilliger.

"And you hate not knowing to answer to _any_ question." He seemed slightly amused but still uneasy.

"Yes, I do actually."

He sighed wearily. "I'm not at liberty to answer some of the questions you're asking, to put it bluntly." Again, just like Ms. Terwilliger.

I stared in disbelief. "Are you joking?"

"Yes," he said flatly. "All ex-Alchemists are a barrel of laughs."

"Not nearly as funny as the Alchemists themselves though," I said wryly.

"I always thought I was considerably wittier than the rest." He shuddered. "At least I hope I was."

In spite of myself, I smiled. I knew I shouldn't have been enjoying making fun of the Alchemists so much but . . . it was strangely pleasant, and sadly . . . it was pretty easy. I felt myself relaxing around Marcus, something that puzzled me. I wasn't overly comfortable around many people. I kept so many secrets from everyone that I was constantly on edge, worrying whether or not they had figured them out. I guess I felt like Marcus Finch might've been the only person I'd met with more secrets than me.

I thought back to earlier and how he had saved me. "Thanks for saving me, even if you won't answer my questions."

He nodded. "Anytime."

I thought for a long moment, and then my curiosity got the best of me. "How did you do it? Escape the Alchemists, I mean." In the photo I had back in my dorm, he had an indigo crescent pattern tattooed over his Alchemist lily. I saw no tattooing now.

"Another question," he muttered. "This one I can answer though." He got up from the table and walked over to the counter, wetting a paper towel and dabbing his left cheek with it. He turned and something caught his eye. A look of relief washed over him.

"Thank goodness. Clarence still has some coffee. Do you want a-"

"Yes," I piped.

Marcus put the coffee on and continued dabbing his left cheek. When he moved the paper towel back, I was astonished to see the indigo tattoo there, just as beautiful as it had looked in the picture.

Marcus sat in the seat across from me again and pointed to the tattoo. "This. This is how I escaped them."

"You couldn't have just tattooed over the lily. There's got to be something more complex to the process than that." If not, I could have Adrian doodle over mine with a sharpie.

I suddenly wondered why I had thought something like that, even jokingly. There was no way I wanted to become an ex-Alchemist. What would that grant me?

_Freedom_, my heart whispered. _And a future that's your own._

_A visit to a Re-education Center, _my head contradicted. _And a little sister with a tattoo on her cheek_.

I rested my head in my hands.

"It's _much _more complex," Marcus said seriously. "This tattoo consists of very powerful spell. It took me a year to prefect it."

I stared at it. "What kind of spell is it?"

"It's a concealment spell, a very powerful and specific one. The ink in the tattoo is charmed to hide me from humans with any vampire blood at all in their system."

"Like Alchemists, because of our lily tattoos," I mused out loud.

"Correct. To other Alchemists I don't look like myself. I look like a completely different person."

Something occurred to me. "Then how come I could tell who you were?"

Marcus smiled. "You're a witch. A powerful one, I might add. Jackie was right."

I looked down, not really sure whether to take that as a complement or not.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's in your blood." Marcus said, almost kindly.

I looked up then. "What do you mean it's 'in my blood'? My mom's not a witch. Jared's not a warlock."

Marcus quickly got up, and put his coffee cup in the sink. "I think I've answered enough questions for one night. I was hoping Clarence might wake up, but I'll talk to him another time. Poor man needs his sleep. You stay at Amberwood, right?" He asked.

"Yes . . ." I answered, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, let's get you back," he said, taking my empty coffee mug and placing it in the sink.

When we were in the car and on the road, I decided to push my luck and try to get him to answer one more question.

"Why are you here? Out of all the places for an ex-Alchemist to go, why would you come _here_, to Palm Springs?" We were pulling into Amberwood's parking lot now, and the moonlight cast mysterious shadows on Marcus' face as he put the car into park and turned to face me.

"Because," he began, that same power from earlier seeping into his voice, "you're getting the hell out of the Alchemists. And I'm going to help you."

* * *

**Thanks so much for all of the kind reviews! They mean so much!**


	3. Chapter 3 The Power of Power

**Chapter Three**

**The Power Of Power**

"Excuse me?" My mouth dropped open. "I don't know who you are or why you think you can just show up and-"

Marcus rolled his eyes at me for the second time tonight. "I'm Marcus Finch, and if you only knew half of what I know, you might not be so quick to write me off."

I glowered at him. "I don't want to know anything you know."

Marcus didn't look phased whatsoever. He still looked dead serious. It was an odd expression to see on such a young, handsome face. "The Alchemists lie to you. They'll continue to lie to you. I know you don't like being lied too."

I climbed out of the car, unable to stand hearing anymore of this. "You don't know anything about me," I snapped.

Marcus gave me a small smile, but his dark blue eyes were unreadable. "No, Sydney. That's where you're wrong." And then he drove away, leaving me standing there on the curb staring after him. I thought about how much my life had changed in the past twenty-four hours. A crazy witch was after me; an ex-Alchemist wanted me to turn my back on everything I knew . . . what was next?

_Maybe your father will call you and tell you how proud of you he is._

I chuckled out loud at that one. If that ever happened I really did need to go ahead and write my eulogy.

Thoughts of Simone's staged attack, Marcus' words, and Adrian's eyes made it hard to concentrate in chemistry the next day.

"Hey Melbourne," an arm nudged me, "you got the answer to number twelve?"

I blinked a few times. "Gold and copper are the only two non-white metals."

Trey Juarez, supreme football star, closet nerd, and ex-vampire hunter extraordinaire, studied me with his dark eyes. "You're actually going to just give me the answer? All right. What's wrong with you?"

I sighed and brushed some dark blonde waves behind my ears. "I'm just under a lot of stress."

Trey leaned closer to whisper his next words. "Something to do with the Alchemists?" I noticed he had bags under his eyes, much like I probably did. A pang of anger mixed with sympathy went through me. Trey's people, The Warriors of Light were ignorant and savage, and had unjustly tried to kill a Moroi woman named Sonya a less than a month ago. The memories of their bloodthirsty faces were still fresh in my mind, stirring up a fierce anger. The memory of Trey talking about how he and his father had been exiled from their people pulled at my sympathetic side. Trey hadn't wanted to be a part of the act, but his father had pushed him. I knew all about doing crazy things for your father's approval, and I knew all too well how it felt to never have it.

I frowned and lowered my voice as well. "Not exactly. How are you doing?"

Trey shrugged, swallowing. "My Dad's still not . . ." he looked down and pulled himself together. "We're not on good terms," he finally said.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

This got a smile out of him. "You're too likeable for your own good, you know Melbourne. It's not your responsibility to take care of everyone." Something suddenly seemed to occur to him. "Although . . . there might be one thing . . ." he began.

"What?"

"Is there any way Eddie and Angeline might be able to help me learn how to fight better? I've seen you guys practicing in the mornings before."

I was shocked. "Why would you want to learn how to fight better?"

"Well, I kind of want to learn how to protect myself," he stated. "When I saw how good the dhampirs were at fighting I realized I could use some touching up. It might just be something to get my mind off of things."

I stared, trying to make sure there weren't any ulterior motives. I didn't detect any, but then again, I was awful at detecting any sort of underlying emotions. I finally nodded. "I'll see what I can-"

"Mr. Juarez, Ms. Melrose? Is this conversation you're having something you'd like to share with the class?" I hadn't realized Professor Burton had started lecturing again. Everyone's eyes turned to us.

"Not particularly, sir. It's nothing any of you need concern yourselves with," I blurted out matter-of-factly. A couple of kids in the class chuckled, and Trey rested his head on his desk to muffle some sort of laughter. I didn't understand what was so funny. I had just answered the teacher's question.

Professor Burton looked surprised. "Are you being disrespectful, Ms. Melrose?"

I was confused. "No sir . . . you asked me if we wanted to share what we were discussing with the class and I answered 'no'. There was nothing disrespectful about that."

"Dismiss yourself from my class, Ms. Melrose. I don't know where this new found attitude is coming from but it better be gone tomorrow."

I was frozen for a moment while my classmates gave me the sort of "oohs" they gave when a boy and girl student walked out of one of the bathrooms at the same time. I gathered my stuff up feeling like I was in a haze and walked out of class, closing the door behind me.

I'd just gotten kicked out of class. I, Sydney Sage, had just gotten kicked out of class . . . because I had an "attitude."

I leaned against one of the hallways alabaster walls and laughed. This had to be it. Brayden thought I was irresponsible and now my chemistry teacher thought I had an "attitude."

"Sydney Sage, the exemplary Alchemist that's irresponsible and has an 'attitude,'" I joked to myself.

"Miss Melbourne . . . what are you doing out here?"

I turned to find myself face to face with Ms. Terwilliger. "I got kicked out of class," I told her, finding it extremely hard to wipe the grin off of my face.

She eyed me, something like amusement twinkling in her eyes. "Oh you did, huh? Well, come back to my room with me. There's someone who I think might like to see you."

I followed her back to her room curiously, wondering who could want to see me. Something occurred to me as we were walking, as soon as I snapped out of my haze.

"Ms. Terwilliger, Simone's already looking for me. I got attacked last night," I told her urgently.

She gestured for me to follow her back to her office where she actually kept a bunch of her spell ingredients. "So I heard."

How had she . . .?

"This smells vile," a voice sounded from the office.

_Oh no._

Marcus Finch, who was leaned over a smoking bowl, shot me a small smile as I walked in. He must've come to fill Ms. Terwilliger in on the events of last night.

Ms. Terwilliger gave him a look. "Well, it's meant to cause people around you to pass out. It's not going to smell-"

I suddenly felt lightheaded; the scent was overpowering. Someone put something around my neck. Some sort of amulet, I realized, steadying myself. Ms. Terwilliger held my shoulders. "Sorry. We weren't expecting you so soon." She and Marcus had on amulets identical to the one I was now wearing. I concluded the amulet must have acted as a sort of shield from the mixture Marcus was stirring over a Bunsen burner.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Marcus.

"What does it look like?" he asked, in that logical way of his.

Ms. Terwilliger looked back and forth between us. "Marcus came to explain to me what happened last night. I'm surprised the attacks started so soon," she explained worriedly.

I swallowed, my stomach clenching at the mention of last night's attack. "What can I do to avoid them?"

Marcus answered. "Don't go anywhere alone. Even Simone's careless henchmen won't attack you if there is a considerable crowd around. Last night was a lesson."

I nodded. "I need to learn some spells that require fewer ingredients," I told Ms. Terwillger earnestly. "That was my biggest problem last night. I couldn't get my hands on the 'potpourri.'"

Ms. Terwilliger thought for a moment. "I'll let you work back here with Marcus during History today. Just keep it down. No explosions or anything."

Marcus gave Ms. Terwilliger a dry look that mirrored my own. "Explosions _were_ what we were going for."

Ms. Terwilliger ignored him, and closed the door as she walked out. I crossed my arms across my chest. Marcus looked as handsome as he had last night. Today he was dressed in a nice white button down shirt and high quality jeans. It was kind of funny, actually. He was no longer an Alchemist, yet he still dressed like one.

His blue eyes regarded me oddly for a moment, like he was studying me. But it was in a different way than Adrian studied me. Marcus seemed to be . . . looking for something. He didn't appear dreamy, merely curious.

"How are you doing?" He asked me. His tone made it obvious he wasn't asking it as a light question.

I sighed and walked over to gaze into the gray bubbling liquid he was stirring. "All right, I guess. It's just a lot to take in. I mean, I don't really get why Simone's after me, besides the fact I'm 'good.'" And that was the truth. I still didn't understand what Simone would get from . . . doing whatever it was she wanted to do with me . . .

"Power," Marcus said darkly. "Full Moons like her target young and powerful witches and warlocks."

"When you say target do you mean . . . kill?" I knew I was in danger. I had accepted that last night. But I had tried to avoid thinking about how bad this really was. "What does she get if she kills me?"

"Power," Marcus repeated, dropping some sort of powdered substance into the bowl. "Whenever a magic user kills another, they take over their victim's power source, so-"

"The more people Simone kills, the more power she acquires," I finished, feeling sickened. There was nothing more evil than taking the life of another person, especially if it was an act of greed. It was different to kill in war, to kill for a righteous cause. It was unspeakable to kill another person for nothing more than your own benefit. I believed people who committed those types of horrible acts had a special place waiting for them when death finally greeted them.

"Precisely." Marcus turned off the Bunsen burner and walked to place the spoon he was using in the small sink on the other side of the room. I ignored the urge to straighten up the books on Ms. Terwilliger's bookshelf. Marcus turned back to me and seemed to be thinking about something he was about to say.

"Have you considered what the Alchemists would do if they knew what you are?" He finally asked.

I didn't like his abrupt change in subject. Our argument from last night flooded back to my mind. "No."

He regarded me with utter seriousness. "Don't you think that's something to consider?"

"Maybe. I mean, no. Right now I need you to teach me some spells that don't require so many ingredients. I don't want to talk about the Alchemists."

Marcus pulled out a book from Ms. Terwilliger's shelf. "You asked them about me, didn't you? I know when Clarence mentioned that he was saved by a human, the first thing you did was phone your superiors and ask if they had any records of me."

"It doesn't matter right now," I mumbled gruffly. Marcus understood the system so well, he could trap me easily. He was _not_ stupid either, that much was obvious; no Alchemists - or former ones - were. His keen intelligence made his uncomfortable topics that much harder to evade.

"So they lied to you about me? Of course they did." He gave a harsh laugh. "They're ashamed of me, as well as they should be. What's mere integrity in the face of having feelings for a vampire?" His voice grew hostile.

I felt my head jerk up in interest against my own will. "You had feelings for a vampire?"

Marcus avoided my eyes. "Yes."

He seemed a bit lost in his own thoughts the rest of the time we worked together. He walked behind me a few times to show me how to position my hands in a way that would let the power flow more freely. I noticed that though Marcus was definitely attractive, when he touched me, there was no spark, no fire. When Brayden had touched me I'd felt awkward. When Adrian had touched me it was like I could feel a crackling electrical current.

When Marcus touched me I felt no such reactions. Despite his occasional unnerving topics and pushiness, I realized I once again felt relaxed around him, like I had at Clarence's last night. As my thoughts spun out while we worked, a part of me could see why he had left the Alchemists. I'd once told Adrian that love was a noble reason. Even if I couldn't force myself to view Marcus' actions as "noble" really, I could accept that doing something out of love was never entirely bad.

We made occasional small talk, and Marcus decided that we would work on spells with lesser ingredients for right now rather than make the jump to no ingredients at all. He compared my magic to a muscle, saying that it required building up before it could be strong.

He was quite knowledgeable about magic and appeared to love it, but he continued to seem only halfway there as we worked. His eyes had a lost look in them. It reminded me of the look in my own when I looked in the mirror these days, the look in Jill's when she watched Eddie, and the look in Adrian's when he watched me. I wanted to push Marcus for more details on his feelings for this vampire, but something told me that now wasn't the best time.

When were finished, Marcus had helped me make a few bracelets with different magical components. One bracelet contained a dizziness charm, one contained a sleeping charm, and the last contained a sound creating mechanism. I could snap that particular bracelet into three pieces, toss them toward my opponent as I shouted the incantation and they would be deafened by a high-pitched noise. All three techniques were defensive, and Marcus reiterated we'd work on some offensive ones when I got stronger.

I was surprised when Ms. Terwilliger came in and announced she'd emailed each of my teachers that I'd fallen ill and had been excused. Marcus and I had been working for over three hours. I placed the bracelets on my wrists, feeling slightly better about things.

I was going to thank Marcus and Ms. Terwilliger when my phone vibrated. I took a deep breath and checked it. I nearly dropped it when I saw who the text was from. Adrian.

_We need to talk._

"Oh no," I said aloud, feeling a bit faint all of the sudden. Marcus and Ms. Terwilliger eyed me, bemused.

"Is something wrong?" Marcus asked.

"No," I lied. "Not exactly. Just . . . Alchemist stuff."

Marcus said nothing, but the knowing glint in his eyes made me shift uncomfortably. We bid Ms. Terwilliger bye and walked out to the parking lot together. I paused to answer Adrian.

_Where? _I finally replied.

His answer was immediate: _Spencers. Wouldnt want u going 2 long w/out coffee_. _I'm already there anyway._

I sighed and put my phone in my purse.

Marcus pointed to the bracelets on my wrist once we were near Latte. His silver Jag was parked a couple of rows away, but he walked me to my car, looking around like a guardian might have. "I'll make you a few more of those tonight. It's better if you make them though; they'll be more power to them. But a little is better than none."

"Over-achiever," I teased.

He nodded toward my tattoo. "Goes with the territory."

Marcus had turned to leave when I called after him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I could turn you in . . . to the Alchemists, you know," I said carefully, crossing my arms. "I'm not going to, but I certainly could."

Marcus chuckled, and there was harshness to the sound, just like last night. "You wouldn't be able to turn me in, Sydney."

"And why not?" I asked, challengingly. "Are you _that _sure of yourself?"

"Partly," he responded cockily. "But I'm also sure that I could easily tell the Alchemists about your involvement with witchcraft, which would get you in just as much trouble as me. If you turn me in, I won't hesitate to throw you under the bus too."

I swallowed, a bit startled. Still, I refused to let him know his words got to me. "Well, I don't trust you, just so we're clear," I told him boldly. "I might work on the magic with you, and play chummy in front of Ms. Terwilliger, but I don't trust you any further than I can throw you."

He smiled, though it didn't touch his eyes. "Well that's one thing we agree on," he said. "Though I'll reiterate what I told you last night. 'The last thing I want to do is hurt you.'"

"Why wouldn't you want to though? Why do I matter to you? Why are you helping me?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," he said, echoing my words from last night. And then he left, leaving me once again with more questions than answers. My questions were quickly put to rest when the difficult task I now had ahead of me began to sink in.

As I drove, I found myself looking extremely forward to seeing Adrian, yet I found my heart racing in fear of the conversation I knew was inevitable.

* * *

**The next chapter will definitely include some Adrian. I'm still laying groundwork in this one. Thanks so much for all of the kind reviews. They really make me smile. (:**


	4. Chapter 4 Excuses & Reasons

**Chapter Four**

**Excuses & Reasons**

Just thinking about the fact that we were about to "talk" made it hard to breathe. _Inhale, exhale. _I reminded myself that breathing was a simple process. A difficult, heart-to-heart, with Adrian Ivashkov, changed nothing about the way the human body breathed. It certainly didn't help matters that I had to walk through the same parking lot I was attacked in last night.

Adrian was seated at a small table near the back, messing with his phone as though he needed something to do with his hands. It was mid-afternoon now, and the sun came through one of the windows illuminating the caramel and chestnut highlights in his hair. I took a deep breath and sank down into the chair across from him.

"Hey," I said quietly.

He took a deep breath of his own and set his phone back in his pocket. "Hey yourself, Sage." His green eyes were as gorgeous as always, made even more so by the dark green t-shirt he wore under his jacket. His eyes had dark shadows under them, but they weren't bloodshot. I smelled no cigarettes or alcohol whatsoever. I noticed a streak of black paint on his arm.

"You were painting earlier?"

"We've been through this. Can't take a painting class if you don't paint."

I smiled, though it hurt to do so. I almost wanted to cry because of all things going on in my chest that I didn't understand. I felt emotionally strung out - even physically strung out, from all of the magic I had helped Marcus with. "Right, right. So, um, what did you want to talk about?" I clasped my hands in my lap, hoping to hide how they were shaking.

"Jill," he said bluntly. "It's been hard on her, since we've stopped talking."

"_You_ stopped talking to _me_," I pointed out. "I never stopped talking to you." It was true. I'd tried to talk to him, tried to brush over things, but he'd shut me out. He came off as an open person, with the way he tried to make everyone laugh and they way he tried to convince everyone that he didn't have a care in the world. But I knew, that deep down, not many people really knew _Adrian._ They knew Adrian Ivashkov, the hilarious party boy that had about as much worth ethic as a potato. They didn't know the Adrian, I did. They didn't know the Adrian who had gently wiped blood off of my face after I'd been attacked, the Adrian that had a condemnatory jerk for a father, or the Adrian that put his heart into every single thing he did.

"Maybe," he admitted reluctantly, "but we can't keep this up at Sonya's wedding. It's going to be tough for Jill to have to see Lissa and feel compared to her as it is. It'll be stressful on me too, because of the magic I'm going to be using, and the more stressed_ I_ am, the more stressed_ Jill_ is. Not being on speaking terms with you will just stress me out even more, and I don't want to ruin Jill's night. Girls dig weddings; she should be able to enjoy herself."

I nodded, always touched at his concern for Jill. "I agree." It took me a few moments before I could get the next words out. I knew I shouldn't have said them, but I just couldn't help it. Jill's words from yesterday rang in my ears: "_He has no idea how you feel."_

"Besides, I, um, miss . . . talking to you." _I just miss _you_ actually,_ I added in my head. I couldn't articulate why.

Or maybe I was just refusing to.

Adrian eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he kept a cocky smirk on his face. "Yeah, well, I would miss talking to me too."

I shook my head. "I'm sure you would. So . . . are we . . . good?"

Adrian's eyes tightened, causing my hopes to plummet. "I'm not going to say that we're 'good' because that makes it easier for you to pretend like it never happened. It did. And I wouldn't change it for anything. All I want to come of this talk is that we don't let it affect our friendship. Things aren't 'good' between us though, Sydney. Until you open up to me, they won't be."

"Open up to you?" I asked.

"You have feelings for me," Adrian said, his green eyes holding mine seriously. "But you're holding back for some reason, and until you tell me that reason, things can't be anywhere near 'good.'"

"Adrian, I'm a . . . human." _That's also a witch._ "You're a-"

He rolled his eyes and flung his hands down on the table. "Vampire. Yes, I'm a vampire." A girl sitting at a table nearby looked up from the book she was reading. "It's an inside joke," Adrian told her. She looked down and blushed, embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping. Adrian lowered his voice. "Humans are so damn nosey. Anyway, I know that I'm a vampire. Nothing is going to change that, and that's not why you left my apartment that day. It was an excuse for you to leave, not the real reason you left."

Adrian was a very perceptive person. He could read people like open books, partly because of his ability to see auras and partly because he was just a people person. I envied the latter about him, and it also made these sorts of things hard. He knew I was hiding something, he just didn't know what. I eyed him, wanting to tell him the real reason I'd left. I wanted to tell him I was afraid, afraid for so many different reasons. I was afraid of what I was feeling. I was afraid of what my people would do to me, and by extension him. If the Alchemists took me to Re-education, they would make me into a robot, a shell of who I was now.

If the Alchemists made me hate vampires, I would see Adrian as nothing more than a monster. I couldn't risk putting him through anything like that. I wouldn't risk putting him through anything like that.

"Adrian, it just can't work. I don't want to talk about it."

Adrian eyed me, an odd expression on his face. He was studying my aura, I realized. "Okay," he finally said. "I won't bring it up from now on. I'm not going to beg you to tell me what's up. If you ever do want to talk though, just know I'll listen."

He then took a sip of his hot chocolate and frowned. "Man, they didn't even put the little marshmallows in this." He stared down at the cup in dismay.

I smiled, loving his short attention span. It reminded me of a little kid, the way he was easily distracted by things. "You should go demand a refund," I said. "If that's not poor service I don't know what is."

"I don't think Kayden would give me my money back." Adrian nodded toward the barista's counter, and I froze up. Adrian had already gotten my coffee for me so I hadn't had to order it, meaning I hadn't noticed Brayden, my ex-boyfriend, was working the shift.

"_Brayden._ You didn't say anything to him did you?" I asked.

Adrian smiled, that mischievous twinkle in his eyes brightening. That twinkle was never completely gone; his emerald eyes always seemed to have wheels turning in the back of them, like his latest plan was falling into place. "We had a real nice chat, actually."

"Oh Lord," I sighed, assured my face looked horrified. I didn't want to think about which one of his games Adrian had tricked Brayden into playing.

"So, how have you been?" Adrian asked. This was getting easier. My chest still ached, but it was becoming more of a numb ache, an ache I could push it back. Talking to Adrian seemed to dull it a little bit, actually.

"I've been . . ." I thought about the weird, empty state I'd been in, Simone's attack, and Marcus' haunting words about the Alchemists. "Fine. I've been fine," I answered. "Fine" was a word to cover up how I'd really been, how I really was, which was nowhere near "fine." If I'd allowed myself to use any word in the world to express how I was feeling, it would've been lost. I felt like I was losing my grip on who I'd been, who I was, and who I was supposed to be.

I didn't think Adrian believed me, but he seemed to let it go.

"How have _you_ been?" I asked, before he had time to push for details. I really did want to talk to him about the magic, about Simone, but I was worried he'd get involved in it trying to help me. I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to Adrian, especially because of me.

His answer was immediate. "Fine." Our eyes met, and I had to look away. Adrian's head jerked up to stare at something behind me. "Hey, Jackie's here." I gave him a blank look. "Your witchy teacher."

"Hush," I hissed, looking over my shoulder. "Someone might hear you." I followed Adrian's gaze to the counter, where Ms. Terwilliger was ordering her signature latte. With her was someone else I recognized.

Marcus.

"Jackie!" Adrian shouted.

"Oh Lord," I said, resting my head in my hands. "Adrian, don't."

It was too late. Something told me Ms. Terwilliger already knew we were there anyway. Brayden handed her a latte and she began walking toward our table, smiling. Marcus got his coffee and followed.

"Oh Lord," I said again. This could _not_ go well. A vampire, two witches and a warlock have coffee together: how many make it out of the restaurant? I thought ominously.

"Hello Adrian," Ms. Terwilliger smiled. She turned to me. "Ms. Melbourne." She appeared amused.

"Hello ma'am," I said. Marcus seemed to be examining the situation. He stared at Adrian for a moment, and I would've bet money he'd recognized Adrian as a Moroi. He smirked at me, and then politely extended a hand to Adrian.

"Marcus," he said.

Adrian had noticed the look Marcus had given me, and eyed him warily as he shook the warlock's hand. "Adrian." He studied Marcus another second, and then turned to Ms. Terwilliger. "You guys are welcome to join us."

My history teacher seemed supremely delighted by this. "We'd love too." She sat in the chair next to Adrian and Marcus sat in the chair next to me. The look on Marcus' face seemed to be screaming, _"Coffee with a vampire? The Alchemists would __definitely_ _approve of this." _

Great. Now he had more material to prove his points.

"That is a _bad-ass_ tattoo," Adrian said, pointing to Marcus' left cheek. I noticed he hadn't bothered covering the crescents up today.

Marcus smiled. "It's all right. Not nearly as 'bad-ass' as Sydney's though." Marcus said the last part with a hint of sarcasm. He reached into his pocket and handed me a vial of what looked like the grey liquid he'd been mixing in Ms. Terwilliger's office earlier. "Here," he told me. "It'll make anyone within a ten-foot radius pass out if you pour it on the ground and concentrate hard enough."

"I-" I tried to begin, taking the bottle hurriedly.

"You're into the witchy stuff?" Adrian eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at the warlock.

Marcus frowned. "Magic, might be a better term, though I suppose 'witchy stuff' still categorizes it correctly." His frown deepened. "It does make me sound less manly though."

Adrian turned to me. "Wait. You two know each other?"

I nodded. "We met yesterday," I said, not elaborating on the circumstances in which we had.

Marcus took a sip of his coffee. "I'm helping Sydney with some of her magic. I'd love to help her with some other stuff, but she won't let me." He tapped his left cheek pointedly, making it appear to everyone else as though he just had an itch.

Adrian's green eyes flashed with some emotion I couldn't pinpoint. His smile was forced. "What kind of 'other stuff?'"

Ms. Terwilliger was watching the exchange with amusement. "Don't worry dear. Not the kind you're concerned about."

When I arrived back at Amberwood, it was time for dinner. I met with the gang in the commons, my talk with Adrian still fresh on my mind. I didn't know whether I liked him knowing about my practices with Ms. Terwilliger and Marcus. It had seemed to upset him for some reason. I did know he would have a lot of questions for me the next time we were alone. Overall though, I felt a little better knowing he and I were going to attempt to be friends once more. Still, his words rang through my ears.

_"If you ever do want to talk though, just know I'll listen."_

Those words were comforting yet troubling at the same time. It was nice to know I always had someone I could go to, someone I could talk to about anything. It was also tempting, however. It made me want to confide in him, made me want to let him in. And I just couldn't risk that. Not while I was an Alchemist.

The more I gave to him, the more I had to lose.

I found Jill sitting at our usual table stirring around some questionable looking macaroni but not actually touching it. Eddie and Angeline were talking to her, but she seemed quite disinterested. She did perk up however, when I sat down.

"Sydney, I missed you." Jill breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wasn't gone long," I told her, somewhat flustered by the comment. "Why-" I cast a glance at Eddie and Angeline who had begun discussing their guardian technique for the wedding after they'd waved to me. Micah was on the other side of the lunchroom, sitting with a large group of friends Jill used to call hers. I realized without me here, she must have felt kind of lonely.

"Are you hungry?" Jill asked me quickly, seeming to pick up on my realization.

I frowned. Marcus had brought sub sandwiches to Mrs. Terwilliger's, and I had devoured one along with a bag of chips after practicing so much magic. I wasn't that hungry right now, and after such a large lunch I didn't think I could risk the calories. If I did end up seeing my real family at Christmas somehow, I didn't want my father to tell me I'd gained weight. He would notice one pound.

"No," I finally said.

"Do you want to go to library?" Jill asked me. Something in her eyes told me she had motives other than reading for wanting to go there.

I nodded. "Sure."

As Jill and I got up, Eddie and Angeline glanced in confusion. "Where are you guys going?" Eddie asked. He looked concerned.

"The library," Jill and I said in unison.

Eddie and Angeline got up and I saw Jill's face fall. "Just the two of us," I blurted out. Awkward silence fell for a moment. "Girl talk," I said as way of explanation. I actually had no idea what "girl talk" was, other than a popular expression to describe two girls that were friends relaxing and discussing their feelings. I certainly didn't want to participate in the latter.

Eddie nodded, looking like "girl talk" was not something he wanted to engage in. "Okay. Be careful."

Jill rolled her eyes. "We're going to the library, not a graveyard." I smiled at this, and Jill and I left.

We took a seat at a table in the back, and it was then Jill unleashed her real motives for wanting to go there.

"So, Adrian's not just talking to you again because of me," she said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "He misses you too. That had a lot to do with it."

I sighed in exasperation; there were no secrets with that bond. It was nice to hear he missed me, but once again, it made it harder to stay away. It was much easier to stay away when I could tell myself he didn't care. "Look, we're just going to stay friends."

Jill rolled her eyes in a way that I'd often seen Adrian roll his. "Okay." More of sweet Jill suddenly seemed to come through, her pretty face lightening. "We have to get cute dresses for the wedding," she told me. "Adrian said he'd take me to the mall since we can't shop anywhere near the court because we have to stay hidden. Well, at least when his charm's not on. And I don't want to make him use any more spirit than he's already going to have too. He still needs a suit too. Will you come shopping with us? Please?"

I smiled, picturing Adrian trying on different men's suits and giving his lofty opinion on dresses. "Sure. That actually sounds kind of fun."

Jill was quiet for a moment, seeming to be thinking about how to get her next words out. "Um, so . . . I know I wasn't supposed to see all of that but . . . who's Marcus?"

I didn't expect that one. "Um, he's . . . helping me." I said uneasily. Panic started to set in. How much had Jill heard? Had she been listening in on the 'witchy stuff' part?

Jill frowned. "With what?"

"Homework," I blurted out immediately.

Jill laughed. "_You_ need help with homework?"

The thought certainly was improbable, I might go as far as to say it was impossible, but I just nodded. "I have my off days . . ."

"Look, if you don't want to tell me, don't. I just feel like it's wrong for you to do that to Adrian."

"Do what to Adrian?" I asked, startled.

Jill rolled her eyes and got up. "Start hanging out with some really cute human to rub it in his face that you aren't going to accept your feelings for him because he's a vampire. That's pretty crappy of you, Sydney."

I was shocked by her accusations. "Jill . . . with Marcus and I . . . it's not like that at all. He's helping me with something really important. There's nothing between us." I was sure of that.

Jill shook her head. "I'm not the one you should be telling all of this."

And Jill left me in the library, my mind swimming with troubled thoughts. The look in her eyes as she'd slammed me had been eerie. It was the sort of distant look I'd begun to associate with her when she was in Adrian's head. She'd been having a lot more trouble controlling her "visits" lately, and I prayed that nothing worse than a few harsh words would come of that.

* * *

**I hope that you enjoyed that. Thank you all again for all of the kind reviews! They are really awesome, and I've said this, but they really make me smile. (:**


	5. Chapter 5 The Zipper

**Chapter Five**

**The Zipper**

"What about this one?" Angeline asked, walking out of one of the dressing rooms. She and Eddie had insisted on coming along. Adrian and Eddie had left to go get suits on the other end of the department store while Jill, Angeline, and I shopped for dresses. I knew Eddie was keeping an eye on things from a distance though. He'd agreed to let Angeline try on a couple of dresses before she went back on her guard duty. After Jill and Angeline told me that my opinions were "too conservative", I'd taken out a book to read. I looked up from it to see what Angeline had put on.

"Is that even considered a dress? It looks more like a really long tank top," I told her. The dress Angeline had on was royal blue, tight, and glittery. It was very obviously a holiday party dress and did not double as appropriate attire for a wedding.

Angeline glared at me. "Youhaven't even tried anything on yet! And this is cute."

"I'm going too! And maybe if we were going clubbing it'd be cute, but it is _not_ appropriate for a wedding."

Angeline sighed wistfully and slunk back into the dressing room. Jill came out of the one next to her.

"What do you think?" She asked me. I found it kind of funny they both asked for my opinions, even though I was "too conservative". Jill had chosen a one-shouldered, dark purple number that went just below her knees. The neckline was high, giving it an elegant feel, and the silk fabric shone very subtly in the light. She looked beautiful.

I nodded. "That one's perfect."

Jill brightened and stepped back inside the dressing room to change back into her regular clothes. Angeline finally finished her shopping as well. She decided to go with a dark blue number, much classier than the first one she'd tried on. It accented her eyes and gave her a refined look. Anyone who saw Angeline in that dress would've never believed she'd once belonged to backwoods, vampire hillbillies.

Eddie and Adrian came up then, a shopping bag on each of their arms. Adrian was jabbering about a silk tie he'd gotten, which was apparently the "sexiest tie ever". He took a seat beside me, smirking as he saw my book.

"Really? We go shopping and you still find time to stuff your Alchemist nose in a book?"

I glowered at him, and Angeline spoke. "She hasn't even gotten her dress yet."

Eddie groaned. "Sydney, come on."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Come now Melroses', lay off of our sister. Maybe it's just a really good book."

Jill came to my rescue. "She's been helping us pick out dresses." Jill gestured to herself and Angeline awkwardly.

Adrian seemed to be thinking about something. "Why don't you guys go on to the food court and get something to eat? I'll help Sage pick out a dress."

Eddie nodded, his guardian face falling into place. "Okay."

Jill shot Adrian and me a look but otherwise began walking to the food court, the two dhampirs trailing protectively behind her. That strange hum of awkwardness set in for a moment, and I wondered why Adrian had offered to help me.

He stood up. "Come on Sage. Let's get you something real classy."

I followed him into the maze of dresses. He grinned mischievously and pulled out a gold number from one of the racks. It was styled just like the inappropriate blue one Angeline had tried on earlier. "This would be hot enough for Pennsylvania in the winter," he told me.

I rolled my eyes and took the dress from him, putting it back on the rack. "Not happening."

He sighed dramatically. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

We looked a little bit more, talking about the charm he was working on for Jill, some of his artwork, the usual. I kept half-expecting him to bring up what we'd discussed at Spencer's the other day, but he was acting as though nothing had been said. I guessed he really wasn't going to bring it up again. For some reason, I felt a little . . . troubled by that. I was lost in thought when he called my name.

"Sage."

I turned and navigated my way through the racks to find him at the back.

"Try this on," he told me.

"Adrian, I don't know . . ." The dress was beautiful . . . I was just worried it might look like I was overdoing it.

"Please Sydney?" My heart jumped at hearing him call me by my full name; I was helpless. I sighed and took the dress from him, nearly walking right into a rack of dresses as I dizzily made my way into the dressing room. I looked at my reflection before I tried the dress on. My cheeks were flushed and my eyes were brighter than usual.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked the Sydney in the mirror. She just smirked back at me, like she already knew.

Taking the dress off of the hanger, I slipped it on and looked in the mirror.

The silk fabric was a deep, deep, emerald green, the exact shade of Adrian's eyes. The emerald color pulled out the lighter tints in my hair and eyes. The dress came just to my knees, the skirt flowing in a way that was very flattering. It had a high neckline and the sleeves were capped and classy, but the fabric did hug my chest and part of my torso. Still, the dress was beautiful.

"Let me see it when you get it on," Adrian called from outside. I stepped out of the dressing room.

Adrian's eyes widened and he seemed at a loss for words, like he had been on Halloween, when he'd seen me in the red dress. This time though, I noticed something different in his gaze. There was sadness in his eyes. He stared a moment longer then shook his head and hung it.

"Is something wrong with it?" I asked quietly, though something told me his sudden depletion in mood had nothing to do with the dress.

Adrian swallowed and met my eyes. "Not at all. The dress is beautiful." He paused for a moment. "Not nearly as beautiful as you, though."

A warmth spread over me, making it hard to stand up straight. I nodded brusquely. "Okay. I'll get it."

I headed back into the dressing room, took a deep breath and tried to calm my pulse. I wished he wouldn't make comments like that, but at the same time, the high they gave me was indescribable. I reached my shaky hand up to the zipper only to discover it was stuck.

"Oh Lord," I said out loud. I contemplated calling Ms. Terwiliger – or God-forbid – Marcus, to see if there was an emergency "my zipper's stuck" spell, but my phone was in my purse. Jill and Angeline had demanded I give my bag to them in order to prevent me from reading anymore. I tried to get the zipper a few more times but failed.

"Adrian?" I cracked the dressing room door open and hung my head out.

Adrian looked startled at being called to attention. He had appeared to be deep in thought. "Yeah?" He saw that I was still in the dress. "What's up?"

I wanted the earth to swallow me whole. "I um, can't get the zipper."

Adrian straightened up. "Oh . . ." Awkward silence. "Do you want me to . . . ?"

I nodded, and Adrian followed me into the dressing room. It was a small, small room, especially with the both of us in it. The walls seemed to be closing in on us, and his cologne flooding my senses. I turned my back to him.

"It's there," I tried pointing awkwardly to the zipper, feeling like an idiot. Why wouldn't it be there? The zipper wasn't going to get up and walk off.

Adrian took his hands and brushed my hair around to the front of my shoulders. My breathing started to pick up and I tried to recite perfect squares in my head.

1, 4, 9, 16 . . .

Adrian placed one hand gently on the small of my back to steady me.

25, 36, 49 . . .

He used his other hand the grab the zipper.

64, 81 . . .

Gently, he began to slide the zipper down.

100 . . .

He continued to slide it and I felt the zipper get stuck when he was about halfway through. He leaned close to my ear, and I could feel his hot breath on my neck. I suddenly forgot all of my perfect squares. I couldn't think at all.

"Hang on just a moment. It's stuck." He jerked it free and began sliding the zipper again. Looking down at my arms, I noticed goose bumps. Finally, he was done. I jerked around to tell him thanks only to find our faces a few inches apart. One of his hands was still tenderly gripping the small of my back.

All I had to do to have a repeat of that glorious day in his apartment was wrap my arms around his neck. We could kiss one more time and that would be it. This time it would be a goodbye kiss, because, it would never, under any circumstances, happen again, I told myself. That was right. Just one more time. Just once more I could run my hands through his soft hair. Just once more I could taste his-

Adrian backed up and looked me up and down. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?" He sounded . . . angry.

His anger spiked mine. Why had he moved away from me? More importantly, why did he make me want him so close? "Do you have any idea what _you're_ doing?" I growled.

Adrian gestured to me with his hands. "I was unzipping your dress!"

"Way too slowly!" I snapped back.

Adrian's usual mirth seeped into his anger. "Well, next time, if you want me to help you take your clothes off faster all you have to do is tell me."

I put my arms on my hips. "There won't be a next time."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "You were about to kiss me," he said bluntly.

"No, I wasn't," I hissed, hearing the doubt in my own voice.

Adrian ran his hands through his hair and leaned back against the dressing room door. "What do you want Sydney?"

"I-I don't know," I said miserably. I was starting to see what I wanted, actually. I was starting to hurt because I couldn't have it.

His emerald eyes were like fire. "Well, when you figure it out, let me know." He walked out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind him.

I was frozen for a moment, unable to move. I turned to the mirror, surprised to see tears welling up in my eyes. The light in the dressing room illuminated the lily on my cheek and for the first time in my life, I wished that it wasn't there.

When I'd pulled myself together and changed back into my skirt and blouse, I purchased the dress alone with a credit card I had kept in my pocket; Adrian was nowhere in sight. He must've gone on to the food court with the others. I tried not to beat myself up over what had just happened, but it was hard. Any feeble progress in our friendship had just been ruined. And it was my fault.

As I walked through the mall to the food court, I tried to stay close to large groups of teenagers and blend in. Simone's face shone in the back of my mind, no matter where I went, no matter who I was with, I just usually tried not to think about it too much. Those cold, cold, blue eyes, that dark hair . . . if I pictured them, I felt as though I couldn't breathe. I was improving on my magic, definitely, but I knew I needed to be working harder.

When we arrived back at Amberwood, I went straight to Ms. Terwilliger's room on a whim that she might still be there. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that she was. She peered up from something on her desk.

"Sydney?" It was odd for her to use my first name. She must've been surprised to see me come to her without a frown on my face. "Is everything all right?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am. I was just wondering if I could grab some ingredients from your office."

She almost looked . . . relieved. "You don't know how long I've been wishing you'd ask me that."

I ignored her comment and went back into the office, retrieving some of the ingredients I'd seen in my defensive spells text-book she'd given me. I found that they fit nicely in my large purse, and when I was content with my findings, I went back into her classroom.

She patted the chair across from her desk. "Here. Don't leave so fast. Have a seat."

I didn't argue, but sat down. "Yes ma'am?"

"How are you doing with all of this?" She asked me. She almost sounded . . . motherly. That thought made me miss my mother, and something about that broke me. I gave into answering Ms. Terwilliger's question.

"I'm just . . . lost," I finally admitted.

Ms. Terwilliger reached across the desk and grabbed my hand in comfort. I resisted the urge to flinch, a bit taken aback by her concern. "You're an intelligent, strong, beautiful, young woman, who's got some hard times ahead of her. You'll beat this Sydney."

I shook my head. "It's not just Simone. It's everything. I'm an Alchemist _and_ a witch. How is that even possible?"

Ms. Terwilliger looked conflicted. "It's not my place to tell you how you are what you are. You need to look more closely at your family. The magic that runs through us is genetic."

I stared at her in shock. "Is my mom a witch?" Was that what Ms. Terwilliger was keeping from me? I mean, Jared Sage obviously wasn't a warlock. My mom was a free spirit, but at the same time I couldn't see a witch marrying an Alchemist, especially one as unlikable as my father.

Ms. Terwilliger sighed uncomfortably. "It's passed down by blood."

"My mom can't be a witch though," I said. "She wouldn't hide her magic from my Dad, and he wouldn't have married her if he knew she had it."

"Sydney, this is something you need to figure out on your own," Ms. Terwilliger insisted. "I do know someone who could help you though."

I was all ears. "Who?"

"Marcus. I know that his betrayal of the Alchemists makes you uncomfortable, but he understands a lot of what you're feeling right now. In fact, he sat in this very room with me about five years ago, having nearly exactly the same conversation with me. His discovery of what he was flipped his world upside down. He survived. And you will too."

I used my free hand to wipe a single tear from my cheek. Sure, Marcus had survived, but he didn't exactly seem . . . happy.

Ms. Terwilliger gripped my other hand tighter. "One of the reasons he's helping you is because he was all alone. He doesn't want you to be."

I was touched at Marcus' concern, but something about Ms. Terwilliger's sentence caught my attention. "What are the other reasons he's helping me?"

Ms. Terwilliger gave me a sad smile. "Those are also things you need to figure out on your own, or things that Marcus needs to tell you himself."

I shook my head, still puzzled and frustrated by all of the secrets going on around here. I decided to head on back to my dorm, having had enough out-pours of emotions for one day. As I was halfway out of the door, something occurred to me. I turned back to Ms. Terwilliger for a moment.

"Earlier this week, you said I reminded you of a former student. I remind you of Marcus, don't I?"

Ms. Terwilliger smiled, and even though she didn't answer my question directly, something in her eyes told me I had guessed right. "Goodnight, Ms. Melbourne."

* * *

**Sydney's kind of stressed...as anyone would be, I think. There are still a lot of secrets being kept, and there's definitely some amped up tension between her and Adrian now. I hope you guys enjoyed it. (:**


	6. Chapter 6 An Ex Alchemist's Tale

**Chapter Six**

**An Ex-Alchemist's Tale**

On Friday afternoon, the day I'd agreed to practice with Ms. Terwilliger at her house, I resisted the urge to drive off when I saw a familiar car parked in her driveway.

"Really? Again?" I raised my eyes to the sky as though that would help God hear me better. I reluctantly climbed out of Latte and scowled at the silver Jaguar I passed as I walked to Ms. Terwilliger's front door. I was about to knock when a voice spoke from behind me.

"Just use a spell to unlock it. She's not home yet. I'll help you until she gets here."

I turned to Marcus, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't want your help."

"As you wish. We'll just stand out here in the desert sun for the next hour."

I glowered at him. This was getting ridiculous. I didn't know why he kept insisting to tell me his opinions on the Alchemists. I'd told him I didn't want to hear them multiple times, which only seemed to pour gas on the fire. It made sense that Ms. Terwilliger would suggest he help me with some of my magic, but magic wasn't what Marcus really wanted to help me with. Marcus wanted nothing more than to "help me" betray the Alchemists. Even if he didn't want me to do this alone, it didn't mean he had to continuously push me.

_You're being stubborn,_ my heart warned. _What happened to not wanting that lily on your cheek last night?_

My head promptly told my heart to shut up.

"Are you seriously going to stand out here in the sun with me to prove a point?" I asked. The desert wasn't as hot as usual, but the sun was still blindingly bright.

"I tolerated being an Alchemist for eighteen years. I can tolerate the sun for an hour."

I wanted to wring his neck. "Why won't you just leave me alone?" When I'd first learned of him, I'd wanted to find him. But now that he was pushing me so strongly, I almost wished that he hadn't found me.

Marcus didn't as much blink. "Because you need my help."

"I do not!" I said, exasperated. "Ms. Terwilliger can teach me fine." I wasn't going to feed into his "screw the Alchemists" mindset. If I let myself give into that, what else would I end up allowing?

Marcus budged in front of me, purposely bumping my shoulder as he walked up to the door. He raised his hand and muttered the incantation Ms. Terwilliger had taught me during my free period yesterday. The lock clicked, and he held the door open for me. A blast of cool air conditioning hit me in the face and I couldn't resist. I walked inside.

Marcus closed the door and faced me. "Ms. Terwilliger wanted you to work on an invisibility charm. It's very useful. This particular charm really helped me when I needed to get something from somewhere I wasn't allowed to go."

Curiosity got the best of me, and I was sure that was his plan. "What were you trying to get?"

"A record from the Alchemists' file bank back in Pennsylvania. My birth certificate to be exact. I used an invisibility charm to sneak past the security. If I hadn't been able to get that certificate, I would've never discovered I was adopted."

"Oh," I said. "Did you ever, um, meet your birth parents?"

Marcus' blue eyes saddened, though his face remained stern. "No. They're dead."

I stared at him for a few moments, his words causing something to occur to me. He'd betrayed the Alchemists, which meant his adopted parents probably weren't speaking to him. His birth parents were dead. He hadn't ever mentioned a girlfriend. I suddenly wondered if Marcus was . . . lonely. A pang of sympathy flooded through me.

He left the Alchemists for love, I reminded myself, trying to further defuse my frustration with him.

"I'm sorry. Do you have any other family?" I asked, most of my irritation from earlier vanishing.

A spark of hope lit his face. "I have a sister." Then he frowned. "I've been searching for her for a couple of years."

I smiled, knowing the joy of having a sister. They were wonderful. I had two of my own. "I think you'll find her."

Marcus looked up again then, smiling the first genuine smile I'd seen from him. He was much more handsome when he smiled, I noted. "I think so too."

He led me back to the room where I'd performed the location spell to find Sonya. Ms. Terwilliger had told me to wear casual workout clothes, so I'd changed into some navy yoga pants and a gray t-shirt. Marcus was wearing black sweat pants and a red t-shirt. I didn't know why Ms. Terwilliger had requested such attire, but I'd decided not to ask since she never answered my questions anyway.

Marcus' mood still seemed a bit brighter. He gave me a playful punch in the arm. "Pretty casual attire for a dedicated Alchemist." He eyed my work out clothes.

I couldn't help but smile back. "Said Alchemist is also a witch, so does it really matter what she wears?"

Marcus pretended to think for a moment. "No. I guess not."

Marcus and I worked in that comfortable silence of ours for a little while. We worked on invisibility amulets and when we were finished constructing them, Marcus asked me to try it out. I held some powdered ginger root in my right hand and recited the incantation while also wearing the amulet. Marcus peered.

"I can still see you, but that's because I know you're here. You're blurry though, which means if I didn't know you were here, you'd be invisible." He nodded in approval and then frowned, as though considering something. "Okay." He walked up to me. "Hand me the ginger root."

"What?" I asked in confusion. "I need it."

Marcus shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "No you don't. You just think you do. Try the spell without it."

I took a deep breath, determination boiling through my veins. "Okay." I gave him the ginger root.

Marcus nodded. "Now try it."

I did as instructed, feeling the power pulse through my veins. I felt like I was flying, like I was free. A cool rush of air blew over my skin, and I recognized it as the invisibility charm beginning to conceal me. This fueled my confidence and I pushed the magic out harder, holding my hands out in one of the ways Marcus had shown me earlier this week.

"That's it," he said with a grin. "You did it." He came over and grabbed my shoulders. "I knew you could do it," he told me, still smiling.

I blushed, unable to handle his pride in me. "It wasn't that difficult of a spell."

Marcus shook his head, a knowing look in his eyes. "I'm proud of you. Just accept it."

This caused me to look down. People didn't tell me they were proud of me very often. As Marcus held my shoulders, I realized that for some reason I wanted him to be proud of me. It felt good. He didn't give complements for no reason, and the fact that he had praised meant I really had done something cool.

His voice was serious when he spoke. "The Alchemists don't appreciate you enough." His words reminded me of what Adrian had told me: _They treat like a piece in a machine, one that's not allowed to think. And you're better than that._

"It's not a big deal. They have more important things to do," I whispered quietly.

"And so do you. You're destined for greater things than being an Alchemist."

I looked up, giving him a small smile. "Oh I am, huh?"

Marcus didn't return my smile. "Yes. You are."

He let go of my shoulders and walked to the kitchen. I felt tired after the magic and Marcus got some cheese and crackers for me. I ate them and downed an entire glass of orange juice, feeling sickened at the calories, but too in need of them to care. Marcus pulled up a stool to sit across from me.

I thought in silence while Marcus read through a spell book. My mind drifted to what had happened in the dressing room with Adrian. Jill had been cool toward me to me today, and I figured that was why. Last night, I'd learned Adrian hadn't even gone to meet back up with the others; he had driven home.

I wanted desperately to be his friend, but at the same token, after what had happened yesterday, I was starting to think that might not be enough. I felt confused, not knowing what to do, and for some reason, I began to think of my mother. She was so beautiful and outspoken; I doubted she'd ever had the troubles I was now having. In fact, I didn't think I knew anyone that could completely understand. Oh well. Everything would be all right in the end. That was what I had to keep telling myself. I had to stay positive.

"Are you okay?"

I jerked my brown eyes from the counter to meet Marcus' blue ones. "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about some things."

Marcus nodded solemnly. "So . . ." he began, looking kind of unsure of how to get his next words out. "This Moroi, Adrian, the one you were at Spencer's with . . . are you guys . . . friends?"

I averted my eyes, a bit nervous about him bringing up such a subject. "We were."

Marcus sighed. "And he wants to be more, doesn't he?"

I was about to deny such a statement, when I studied Marcus' face. It was clear from his expression that he already knew. Was it that obvious, or was Marcus just abnormally observant? I gave a sigh of my own and nodded. "I think . . . I mean . . . I don't know what to do," I finally said, raking my hands through my hair. "I can't do anything, really, because of-"

"The Alchemists," Marcus finished. I nodded.

I wanted to drop the subject, so I decided to take the plunge and ask Marcus a question that had been burning in the back of my mind since I'd met him. "Aren't you worried that they'll catch you?" I asked quietly. Being on the run from the people you used to represent seemed like a kind of stressful way to live. Even though his tattoo disguised him, the horror of ever being discovered must've weighed on him more than he let on.

He averted his eyes from me this time. "I'd be lying if I said there weren't nights the thought has kept me up." There was a pause. "They did catch me once, before I officially . . . left."

I was shocked. "When you say caught . . . do you mean . . .?" Surely he hadn't been to a Re-education center. If so, he would hate vampires . . . right?

His eyes took on a pained, faraway look, like he staring straight into the horrors of his jagged past. "They discovered my feelings for a Moroi girl. Someone tipped them off. They took me to Re-education. I was eighteen at the time."

I was captivated, enthralled by his words. I was also utterly horrified. "What happened there? How are you still . . . you know, you?"

Marcus took a deep breath. "They took me into a plain white room. It had four white walls, white floors, one white bed, and four white fluorescent lights. Every day, as part of the routine, they would send in a 'Re-educator.'"

"So an Alchemist would come in?"

He shook his head. "A vampire. A spirit user."

"What?" I asked. Then something occurred to me. Keith's words when he'd been banging on the walls, shrieking, came back to me.

_Please, I'll _believe _anything! Just don't send me back there!_

Was it possible that the Alchemists had spirit users wield some sort of amped up compulsion on those of us that got too close to vampires? Did they have the spirit users torture those who betrayed them into believing those they'd once loved were evil? I thought about all of the things I knew Adrian could do with his magic. I thought about how pure and good he made his magic seem. But I was learning all too well that just because you had the power to do good, it didn't mean that you would.

It wasn't _what_ we were that deemed us as monsters or not. It was _who_ we were.

"They kept trying to compel me," Marcus stated, confirming my theory. That haunted look in his eyes flashed wildly. "They tried to make me think awful things about the ones I loved the most." I noticed his hands had begun to tremble ever so slightly. Instinctively, I reached out and placed a hand over his. My heart pounded in my chest, his words chilling me.

"But they didn't make you think those things," I told him, trying to calm him down. It was odd to see someone so controlled grow shaken. "You don't believe the Moroi or dhampirs are evil."

Marcus met my eyes again, something so icy and hostile in his that I nearly flinched. "But I _know_ the Alchemists are." He swallowed, getting a grip on his emotions. "I _hate_ them. And I don't like to hate anyone. But I _hate _them. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to go back and kill every single one of them when I got out of Re-education."

"Marcus-" I began, struck by the animosity in his words.

"They couldn't mess up my memories because I'm a warlock. That's how I was able to hold on to who I was, who I'd been, anyway. When I got out, I delved into my magic. I spent an entire year perfecting the Indigo Spell. I did as the Alchemists requested meanwhile, secretly living for the day I could betray them. I wanted them to hate me; I wanted them to hate me as much as I hated them. I wanted them to know that you can't do that to a person. You can't strip them of everything. You can't change who they are just because you disagree, just because you want power."

I was incapable of speech, listening to him tell his story.

"When I had finally perfected the spell, I was due to go to a meeting at the Alchemists' center in Salt Lake City. I left the ink I'd made for the tattoo at my hotel, and attended the meeting, knowing it would be my last. I sat in the lecture for about thirty minutes."

"When they gave me the floor to speak about my current assignment, I stood and instead told them I knew the truth. I told them that I knew they were hypocrites with a thirst for power over all who trusted them and believed in them. Then, I used my magic, wanting to terrify them the way they'd tried to terrify me. They were too disgusted by what I was to run after me straight away. I sped back to my hotel, grabbed my belongings and the tattoo ink, and went to a local tattoo shop across the street. I demanded that the tattooist use the ink I gave him, and he drew the crescent design over my lily. I haven't seen the Alchemists since. They're too disgusted by me, by what I am, to want me back in the system even if they ever did find me."

I could find absolutely no words after all of that. There were so many things swimming through my head, so many things his words had just changed.

"That's why you need to leave them _now,_ Sydney." His face was full of nothing but concern. I thought back to Ms. Terwillger's words last night, about how Marcus understood what I was going through. Maybe he saw some of himself in me, but regardless, I needed time. His words were shaking me from the inside out, but I had too much going on right now for this.

"I need some time," I told him earnestly. "I'm not writing you off; I'm not saying that I won't leave them. I'm just saying that I can't right now. Right now my goal is to keep myself alive. It's going to be a while before I can focus on getting myself free."

I expected him to argue but he didn't. "I can understand that."

"Good," was all I said. On cue, Ms. Terwilliger entered the room.

Marcus and I pulled our hands back at the same time. Ms. Terwilliger smiled at us. "Ms. Melbourne, Marcus. I certainly hope I didn't interrupt an important heart-to-heart."

"You didn't," Marcus and I said in unison.

"Are you both ready to go?" She asked us.

"We're practicing in the clearing tonight?" Marcus asked, looking surprised.

"What? Going where? Clearing?" I asked, feeling like the uninformed third wheel.

Marcus turned to me and said the next words as though they were no big deal. "Ms. Terwilliger's coven wants to hold a meeting to discuss the problems with Simone and the Full Moons. They all really want to meet you."

"Oh Lord," I said in horror. "The Witch Club."

Marcus chuckled. _"Coven."_

Ms. Terwilliger smiled. "Witch Club does have a nice ring to it though, as I've told her before."

I followed them out to Marcus' Jaguar, not believing I was going along with this. If my life weren't on the line, I would've been kicking and screaming before I went to this creepy meeting. Studies did suggest that when in danger, humans found that primeval instinct that pushed them to just keep going. I guess I had found mine.

The sun had finally sunk below the desert horizon by the time we reached the "clearing". The "clearing" turned out to be around the same area that Ms. Terwilliger had taken me to perform the scyring spell to find Simone nearly a week ago. There were about five or six cars sparsely parked. Marcus pulled his Jaguar off the country highway onto the desert sand, careful to avoid stray cacti.

I climbed out, the cool desert night air making me wish I'd brought a jacket. Ms. Terwilliger climbed out behind me, looking absolutely delighted. "I'm so glad you're finally attending one of our meetings," she told me.

"It's not by choice, I assure you," I grumbled.

Marcus chuckled and nudged me along. "I went to one with her a few years ago. I was almost as obstinate as you."

I looked at him. "Are the Witch Club members . . . creepy?"

"_Coven,_ not Witch Club. And, you spend your days ferrying vampires to get blood. Isn't it kind of hypocritical to find witches and warlocks, 'creepy?' I mean, you _are_ a witch . . ."

"Don't remind me."

We walked out to an area of the desert land that was nearly completely void of cacti. About six or seven people sat in a circle, and looked up at our arrival.

"God protect me," I mumbled, clutching the crucifix around my neck. From the corner of my eye, I was almost sure I could see Marcus stifling laughter.

"Hello everyone," Ms. Terwilliger said to the other witches and warlocks. There were a few sticks gathered in the middle of the circle. Suddenly, the pile of sticks ignited into a camp fire. I sprung back.

_Well, Sydney, it's a Witch Club. You shouldn't have expected them to just use matches like normal people._

Ms. Terwilliger turned to Marcus and me. "I'm sure you all remember Marcus, from a few years ago. As for you, Sydney, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Everyone's eyes fell on me, and I tried to avoid their faces, which were now illuminated by the fire. "I'm Sydney," I announced. "I'm an . . . Alchemist." I half-expected them all to say "Hi Sydney," like I was at some sort of witchy Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Maybe I should tell them it had been two hours since I'd cast my last spell.

"You're an Alchemist?" One of the witches said. She had cropped red hair and a large indigo crescent tattoo on her arm. It mirrored the shape of Marcus', I noticed.

"Um, yes," I answered.

"That's got to be complicated, kiddo," she said. "Well, welcome to the coven. I'm Kate. Jackie speaks very highly of you, and of your power."

"Thanks," I replied, otherwise unsure of how to respond.

"All right, all right, enough with the introductions. We need to figure out what to do with Simone and her fringe group. I think we need to be on the offensive this time, since we can't avoid the fight. It's already inevitable," said a male voice.

"Oh cool your jets Wolfe, no need to jump right into the self-defense," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

I jerked my head in the direction of the male voice that had spoken. "Wolfe?" I asked in shock.

"Hello," my former self-defense instructor told me gruffly.

Wolfe was a warlock? I could not believe this. This was _not_ happening. Was the guy that sat next to me in second period a werewolf or something?

Marcus leaned in my ear. "Let's go ahead and sit down."

I did as he suggested and took a seat in between him and Ms. Terwilliger. That was when the meeting really began to take off.

* * *

**I love Wolfe, lol. I can't articulate why, but I do. As always, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7 The Witch Club

**Chapter Seven**

**The Witch Club**

"Have you gotten any word on where exactly Simone is?" Kate asked the group.

Ms. Terwilliger answered her. "As far as we know she's in LA."

"The house she lives in is on a quiet residential street," I told the group. "It looked completely normal."

Wolfe stroked his blonde beard in the moonlight. "That's how she works. She's sneaky. Great at blending in."

Marcus took a breath beside me. "I actually agree with Wolfe on his idea of working on the offensive this time. I don't think we have a choice."

"We need to wait until Sydney gets stronger though," Ms. Terwilliger said. She glanced to me. "I assume you'll want to help?"

"Absolutely," I told them. "I don't want any of you getting involved though. She's after me. I don't want anyone to get hurt on my account."

Marcus' blue eyes flashed in the firelight. "Don't start acting like the lone ranger, Sydney. You're not doing this alone."

"Besides," Kate said, brushing some of her red hair behind her ears, "you're not the only one Simone's after. You're not the first young witch she's wanted dead. But you're going to be the last. We've needed to take her down for a long time now. With you and Marcus helping us, we might finally have enough power to beat her."

Wolfe was eyeing me across the campfire. "You're not going to tell your Alchemist people, right kid?"

"Of course not." I gave a harsh laugh. "They'd probably stick me in a lab and pock me and prod me with needles if they knew what I was."

This seemed to relax Wolfe; I was glad it relaxed someone. He gave one hard nod. "Okay."

"When do you think she'll strike again?" asked a young warlock. He was close to Marcus' age.

Ms. Terwilliger thought about this. "Knowing Simone, she _is_ sneaky. And patient. Because Sydney got away from one of her henchmen last time, she'll be quiet for a little bit. She'll try to make us think that she's backed off."

"And then she'll strike when we're most vulnerable," Wolfe finished. Ms. Terwilliger nodded gravely.

"How many witches has she actually killed?" I asked the group.

"Too many," Wolfe said mysteriously. What was it with these people and answering questions?

"Which gives her unspeakable power," Ms Terwilliger continued. "She hardly ages. She rarely gets hurt. She doesn't even need ingredients to cast spells. She's nearly invincible. She didn't kill me obviously, but she did drain a lot of my power when we were younger. That's why I'm not as powerful as I could be."

"And the only reason she's after me is because I'm powerful?"

Marcus stiffened beside me. "Not exactly."

"Then why-"

"How many days a week are you working with Sydney?" Wolfe asked Marcus and Ms. Terwilliger.

"Every day," Ms. Terwilliger replied.

Wolfe nodded. "Good, good. So you're going to work tomorrow?"

"I'm going out of town," I said uneasily. "Alchemist business." In fact, I really wanted to get home and get some sleep since the flight to Pennsylvania departed at seven in the morning.

"What?" Marcus turned his head toward me. "Why haven't you said anything? You're just going to leave without any protection?" The way the firelight illuminated his fair hair and light eyes, it was almost easy to believe he wasn't entirely human.

"I don't have to answer to you," I told him hardly. "I can take care of myself."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "I've heard that one before. You're not going."

"You can't stop me!" I snapped. "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm Marcus Finch," he told me simply, smiling a sly smile, amused by his own wit. I scoffed.

Ms. Terwilliger and Kate chuckled at us. "She'll actually be safer away from here," Ms. Terwilliger told Marcus to reassure him. "Simone's not going to follow her out of town when she's with a bunch of vampires."

"All right," Marcus grumbled. "When will you be back?" He asked me.

"Probably late Sunday night, unless the plans change."

Marcus stuffed his blackberry in my hand. "Put your number in."

I glared at him but did as requested. He sent me a text so that I could save his number in my phone. The group decided to meet next Tuesday night. I still wondered why we'd worn the workout clothes, so I asked Marcus.

He frowned. "To practice magic. But, apparently Wolfe and Kate were talking before we got here and thought that practicing too much magic in one place could tip Simone off to where we are."

"Oh," I said as we walked back to his Jaguar. "I am getting stronger, right? I mean, I feel like the weak link…"

Marcus stopped and turned to look at me. "You're getting a lot stronger, much faster than anyone I've ever seen. And you're not the weak link. This is you first time ever being directly exposed to this stuff, and you're handling it phenomenally. You have one weakness though, something that only you can fix. There's a part of you, a small one, that's still fighting what you are. You hold back. You need to _embrace_ the magic. Learn to love it, and the power will flow through you naturally. You won't have to push it."

I nodded. "I'll work on it." And I meant it. I knew that Marcus' words were the truth. I was holding back. I kept holding on to the part of me that didn't want to embrace magic, because that was the only part of the old me I felt that I had left. I was scared that if I let that part of me go too, I would be a stranger to myself. But I didn't have a choice. I'd never liked the old Sydney all that much. I certainly wasn't going to like the new one if I never gave her a chance.

Marcus and I were about to his Jaguar, Ms. Terwilliger in pursuit, when a sleek, black car came speeding up the country highway. Figuring it was just a couple of teenagers joy-riding, I didn't think much of it. That was, until the car pulled right in front of Marcus' Jaguar, blocking our path.

"Get down!" Marcus shouted to me, pulling me to the ground with him. He threw his hands up and shouted a Latin incantation that roughly translated to_shield_ in English. I still had the invisibility amulet around my neck and I scooted closer to Marcus, pulling it up and wrapping it around his neck too. I muttered the incantation we'd worked on this afternoon, and felt the cool rush of air blowing across my skin, signifying the spell had concealed us.

A male and a female that looked to be in their mid-twenties jumped out of the black car, their eyes bright with the same hunger I'd seen in Carl's when he'd attacked me. Around their necks, I noticed they each wore identical necklaces, a crimson full moon on each chain. I breathed a sigh of relief when they ran straight past Marcus and me. They must not have seen us when they'd driven up, meaning they certainly wouldn't be able to see us now.

The two Full Moons began to attack the Witch Club. Wolfe, Kate, Ms. Terwillger and the others threw spells back at the two attackers. Streaks of red light flashed. Streaks of blue light flashed. Sand began to blow up, forming a giant dust cloud in the center of the attack. Kate was wielding that particular spell. She threw the dust cloud at the male attacker and he flew back against the black car, breaking into a fit of coughing. This renewed the female attacker's fury and she began violently attacking Kate.

Quickly, I removed the invisibility amulet from around my neck and let it just conceal Marcus. I still had on the bracelets Marcus and I had made earlier this week, and I grabbed the sound making one. I yanked it off of my wrist, a renewed fury bubbling inside of me. Before Marcus could stop me, I jumped up from the desert sand and darted behind the female Full Moon, who was still viciously attacking Kate. I broke the bracelet into three pieces and threw them at the female attacker from behind. As soon as I shouted the incantation, the female Full Moon fell to the ground, grabbing her ears and shrieking in pain from the high pitched sound only she could hear.

_Good,_ I thought. _You deserved that._

Suddenly, something hit me on the back from behind, and I nearly fell over. The male attacker had gained his strength back. I turned to face him and he eyed the lily on my cheek.

"So_you're_ the lily girl," he cooed, almost like he was talking to a pet.

"I prefer Sydney, actually," I growled. With a strength I didn't know I had, I threw my hands out in front of me, reciting the incantation for the immobility spell I'd worked on earlier this week. I didn't have the ingredients, but some instinct inside of me took over, the power flooding through me anyway. The male attacker's mouth dropped open in surprise, and he was frozen in place.

I walked up to him and slapped him, hard, across his right cheek for good measure. Marcus came up from behind him and grabbed the guy by his shoulders, banging the guy's head back against the black car. The male attacker hit the ground, unconscious.

Behind me, I saw that the rest of the Witch Club had rendered the female attacker unconscious.

"Go," Ms. Terwilliger shouted to Marcus. "Take her back to Amberwood! There will be more!" Marcus grabbed my arm and pulled me alongside him to the Jaguar. I hopped in, still elated from both the adrenaline and the magic. Marcus pulled onto the country highway, swearing when he nearly hit a cactus in the process.

I tsked at him. "Such foul language. The Alchemists would not approve."

"Hush," he snapped, when he had successfully managed to begin speeding down the road. "You could've gotten yourself killed back there!"

I shrugged, still feeling like I was on some sort of high. "Maybe. But I didn't." I was surprised to find myself smiling a goofy smile.

Marcus looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "That _was _pretty impressive though. When I told you to embrace your power, I didn't think you'd do it that quickly."

"When people are in danger, you have to do things quickly," I pointed out.

He nodded. "I suppose so."

I grew tired on the ride home, the elation of the magic wearing off. I leaned my head against the window and drifted to sleep. I awoke to a hand banging on the side of the passenger's window. I gasped and pushed the door open, vaguely aware of Marcus yelling: "Hey, watch the car!"

The vampire who had been banging on the side of the window glared down at me, his emerald eyes fiery with fury.

"Where the hell have you been?" Adrian demanded.

I rubbed my eyes, blinking, trying to wake up. "Stop yelling. Calm down." When the world finally came into focus, I realized we were standing by Marcus' silver Jaguar in the Amberwood parking lot.

"'Calm down?' Don't you dare tell me to 'calm down!' We've been worried sick about you!" He gestured behind him, where stony faced Eddie, Jill, and Angeline glared accusingly at me. "You don't answer any of our calls, then you finally show up at two in the morning with this Marco guy," he gestured behind me to where I assumed Marcus was standing, "and you want me to 'calm down'?"

I suddenly felt awful. What was I supposed to tell him? I couldn't tell him or the others the truth, tonight had confirmed that. Enough people were already in danger because of me.

"Adrian-" I began desperately.

"Don't 'Adrian' me!" He shouted. "Just tell us where the hell you've been!" Adrian had me backed up against the Jaguar's door now, his hands pinning my arms against the car. The look in his eyes unnerved me. It was almost . . . unhinged. The warm, caring, Adrian wasn't talking to me right now. The cold, spirit-darkness, induced Adrian was. Still, even in this state, I wasn't afraid. I knew he would never hurt me.

Marcus came up behind Adrian and rested a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Back up," Marcus said evenly. "This isn't her fault." Eddie came up and rested a hand on Adrian's other shoulder.

"Let her go, Adrian," Eddie said.

Adrian's chest rose and fell heavily. He was squeezing my arms so tight that it almost hurt. He closed his eyes and opened them. He took a deep breath, before finally releasing me. He shrugged Eddie and Marcus' hands off of his shoulders, and turned around, fixing his livid gaze on Marcus.

"What the hell kind of game do you think you're playing?" He growled at the warlock.

If Marcus was intimidated, he certainly didn't show it. "I'm not playing any kind of game, I promise you that."

Adrian clenched his fists at his sides. "Well then what are you doing?"

"He's helping me," I tried to explain. "Marcus is helping me."

"So _that's_ what they're calling it now," Angeline snapped. I glared at her.

"Helping her with what?" Adrian asked, his voice growing quiet and controlled. Hearing him speak like that was somehow more intimidating than when he was shouting.

Marcus sighed, looking around uneasily at our audience. "It's up to Sydney whether she chooses to tell you or not," Marcus said carefully.

Eddie was still keeping a watchful eye on Adrian, but spared me a questioning glance at Marcus' words. I averted my eyes, feeling horrible. What did my friends think of me?

Adrian turned his head to me then. "Tell me." He said the words evenly, but his eyes were pleading.

I shook my head desperately, willing him to understand that it wasn't that I didn't want to tell him. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, it was that I _couldn't. _His face fell when I didn't answer, and my stomach sank, seeing the hurt in his eyes.

Marcus still hadn't moved. Adrian eyed him furiously. "Stay the _hell_ away from her," he spat.

Marcus' face curled up into a sneer. "I'm not going to be able to do that. As long as she needs my help, she's going to get it." If I didn't know better, I would've said Marcus was trying to provoke Adrian.

Adrian's thin control was beginning to slip. "And if you keep 'helping' her, _you're _going to get it."

A smile began to appear on Marcus' lips. "Bring it." He paused, seeming to think whether or not he should say the next word. "Vampire."

That was when Adrian "brought it." He threw the punch with his right hand, and Marcus agilely evaded it, with some sort of spell, I suspected. I jumped from my position on the car and threw myself between the two men, playing referee.

"Stop it!" I shouted. I glowered at Marcus, disappointed in him for stooping so low as to provoke Adrian. I had expected better of him. "Both of you are grown men; stop acting like children."

"He started it," Adrian pointed out childishly.

"And I'll finish it," Eddie chimed in darkly, pulling Adrian back by the shoulders.

Marcus turned to me. "Goodnight, Sydney," he said.

"Leave," I snapped. Marcus didn't appear offended, and got into his Jaguar and drove off. I ran a hand through my hair and turned to face my "family."

Even if I could've thought of an explanation, something told me that none of them wanted to hear it.

* * *

**Does Adrian actually have a reason to be jealous? Only time will tell. Thanks for the reviews! I love reading them. They make my day.**


	8. Chapter 8 Comparisons

**Chapter Eight **

**Comparisons**

"Castile, _please_, watch where you put your damn feet," Adrian growled, turning his head back to where Eddie sat behind us on the airplane. Jill was seated in between Eddie and Angeline leaving one spot for me: right next to Adrian. We were cramped, and I was willing to bet money Adrian had never flown anything less than first class other than today. I could tell by his tense posture that he was just as unnerved by our close proximity as I was. The human man on my other side – Adrian had called the window seat – was snoring loudly and smelt of potato chips and cheap cigarettes.

I was squished into my middle seat as compactly as I could manage. I didn't want to touch Potato Chip for fear of catching a disease. I didn't want to touch Adrian for fear of another lapse in control, like I'd had in the dressing room. He hadn't spoken to me since the confrontation with Marcus last night. In fact, hardly anyone had. I felt horrible about everything, but continued to remind myself that they were better off not knowing. My assignment in Palm Springs was to keep Jill safe. Pulling her guardians and her bond mate into a civil war between witches and warlocks did not qualify as "safe."

In fact, if I was here only to do my mission thoroughly, I would've been asking Stanton to relocate me. But . . . I couldn't bring myself to do that for two reasons, the first reason being that I didn't want the Witch Club to have to fight Simone alone. The second reason was that I couldn't bear the thought of losing my "family."

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I sighed, unable to take the silence any longer. "Adrian?"

"Sage?" He mocked my uncertain tone. I hadn't really expected him to respond and now I faced the dooming task of figuring out what I was going to say back.

"What are Moroi weddings like? Are they different?" Good grief I sucked at this. I supposed it was better than asking him about the weather. This question was relevant at least.

"Worried you're going to witness something sordid, huh? After all, we're _vampires_. We're not _human_ like you."

I resisted the urge to flinch at the hostility in his voice. "That's not how I meant it and you know it. I just wondered if there were any differences in the customs, that's all."

His green eyes were icy, not at all filled with their usual warmth. "No you didn't. You're just trying to make small talk. Please, Sage, spare the both of us from your feeble attempts at dealing with emotions." He paused. "Although, I'll admit I'm touched you're making an _attempt _to care. I always thought you were too cold for that sort of thing."

I bit my lip. _Cold _had always been the word I'd associated with my father, my father who I lived in fear of resembling in any way, shape, or form.

Adrian watched my reaction readily, knowing he'd hurt me. That had been his intention. Something like regret flashed is his eyes as he watched me, but he hid it before I could be sure I'd seen it.

"And I always thought you were too lazy and self-pitying to continue college, but you don't see me rubbing it in your face."

His green eyes flashed with anger, and yes, pain. _Good_, I thought. If this is how he wants it to be, then so be it. Some part of me noted it was nice to see some emotion, any emotion from him; he'd been so eerily calm most of the plane ride.

"Good job, Sage. Later, you should tell your superiors you said that. They might be so impressed, they'll let you have input on where they ship you off to next." He face turned up into a sneer. Adrian was hurt, that's why he was acting like this. I'd hurt him, and now I was supposed to hurt too.

A hand on my shoulder kept me from making a retort. Adrian and I both turned around to see Jill watching us with sad eyes. "Stop fighting," she pleaded.

"Yes, please do," Angeline said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know what's going on with you two, but seriously, get a room."

"I could say the same to you and Castile," Adrian retorted.

Angeline flushed. "Yeah, well-"

"Enough," Eddie and I said at the same time.

"Jill's right," I told the group. "We need to stop fighting. All of us." The four of them regarded me coolly, still unnerved about last night. I looked down, remorse paining in the pit of my stomach.

"Guys, about last night," I started, "Marcus really is helping me with something important. He's the Marcus that saved Clarence from the Hunters," I added, as though that might put a bandage on the wound.

This did get their attention. They all appeared more surprised than angry now. Eddie was the first to speak. "Really? Is he an Alchemist? His tattoo didn't look like yours . . ."

I took a deep breath. "He used to be. He left them."

"Well that's one point in his favor," Angeline said.

"Hey," I exclaimed. Angeline then let the group know that she had never been to a wedding that hadn't taken place in a cave. That caused Eddie and Jill to start informing her about proper manners which including making sure she kept her shoes on throughout the entire ceremony.

I turned my head back toward the front, closing my eyes.

Adrian surprised me by speaking. "Why? Why did he leave them?" His voice was so quiet; I doubted the others could hear.

"Because he fell in love with a vampire," I whispered.

Adrian turned to face me, his green eyes studying me. I looked down, fiddling with my golden cross necklace, afraid of what he'd see written on my face if he looked closely enough.

When we landed in Pennsylvania, the temperature difference was staggering. Having spent the last four months in a desert, the snow and ice were even colder than they normally would've been. I'd made sure everyone wore jackets, so we were all dressed appropriately. Regardless, Adrian began to grow "worried about frostbite" during the short walk from the airport to our taxis. We had landed at the Philadelphia International Airport, which was convenient, because the wedding was being held at a lush greenhouse built in the heart of Philadelphia itself. There was a nice chain hotel only a couple of blocks from the greenhouse, and we all had rooms reserved there.

Jill, Eddie, and Angeline took one cab to the hotel, while Adrian and I took another. We were silent most of the ride, staring out of our windows, taking in the bright, snowy, city. The flight had taken about six hours, so it was nearly four-o'clock in the afternoon Eastern Time. I was tired from lack of sleep, but knew I had no time to rest once I got to my hotel room. The wedding ceremony started at six o'clock, which gave me an hour to get ready, and another hour to have the gang seated and comfortable at the greenhouse. Everyone would have their own room, except for Jill and Angeline. Eddie's room was directly across from theirs. My room was next to Eddie's, and Adrian's room was across from mine. I closed the door to my room, giving the bed a longing look, then heading to the bathroom to try to do something with my hair.

My hair was finally beginning to grow out, now a couple of inches past my shoulders. Jill had recently told me it was "long enough to curl" and demanded that I do so for the wedding. I had asked her for the directions that had come with the curling iron but she'd informed me she'd thrown them away. I was reading up on how to use the model iron she had on my laptop when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, happy to see a Salt Lake City zip code. I had hoped it was my mother.

"Hello, Sydney," said Jared Sage through the other end of the line. Great. Just what I needed. A phone call where he told me how little faith he had in me.

"Hi Dad. What do you need?" It was kind of sad that I hadn't seen my father in months and that was the first thing I thought to ask him.

"Your mother would like you to come home and spend a few days here for Christmas. I told her I'd speak with the Alchemists, and Stanton said that it was absolutely fine. She said you were dealing with _them_ currently though, and wouldn't be able to make it into town until late Sunday night. We'll see you then?"

My heart sank and swelled at the same time. I wanted to see my Mother and my sisters, but I had _no_ desire whatsoever to see my father. Oh well. He wasn't exactly giving me a choice. He never did. "Yes sir."

"All right. Goodbye."

"Bye," I said back quietly. The phone line cut. I hadn't expected him to praise me, but a small part of me had hoped he might finally give me some sort of approval. I had quite the stellar reputation among the Alchemists at the moment. I was doing everything he wanted, but then again, with Jared Sage, nothing was ever enough.

Pushing my family drama out of my mind, I found that curling my hair was a fairly simple process. When I was finished, my hair fell to my shoulders in soft waves. I applied light make-up, and slipped into the emerald dress, flinching when I remembered whose eyes it matched. After I'd slid on my favorite pair of black heels, I grabbed a nice black trench coat and headed downstairs to meet everyone in the lobby. It was there I feasted my eyes upon what had to be one of the most breath-taking sights anyone could've had the opportunity to see.

_Adrian Ivashkov in a suit._

Adrian always looked good, but in a casual sort of way. He usually wore expensive jeans and t-shirts and somehow made that simple combination appear stylish. But in a suit, Adrian had a completely different, polished sort of look. The suit he was wearing was all black, paired with a white dress shirt underneath, and a striking emerald green tie to match. The tie pulled out the green of his eyes, which made breathing and coherent thought difficult. He was the first down in the lobby, I noticed. Jill, Eddie and Angeline had yet to show. Adrian had seemed to be studying me while I was studying him.

"You look nice," I finally told him stiffly.

"As do you," he murmured quietly. He seemed to shake something off and stuffed his hands in his pockets, pulling out a necklace that matched the dark purple of Jill's dress.

"Is that the charm?" I asked, hoping to steer the subject away from me.

He nodded. "In all of its spirit glory. Since we know she's wearing it she'll just appear blurry to us." He frowned, looking at the necklace. "This bastard took me nearly four hours last night." He paused. "That's probably why I was as cranky as I was out in the parking lot."

"I know," I told him. "I could tell it was the magic."

"Well, that's one of the reasons at least," he grumbled under his breath. "I don't like Marco all that much either. Of course, I don't think he's going to start an Adrian fan-club anytime soon." Adrian paused, seeming to consider something. "Although, he should. That would be nice. Anytime I was feeling down about myself I could attend one of their meetings."

"How often does this Adrian fan club meet?"

"I'd say weekly. Why?

"I might consider attending a meeting or two," I teased, hoping to diffuse some of the awkwardness.

That mischievous glint in his eyes surfaced. "Why attend a meeting to gush about your desire for me when you could just come get the real thing?"

I rolled my eyes. "Gush about my 'desire?' I'm not the gushing type."

He leaned closer to my face, his green eyes pulling me in. "Actions speak louder than words."

Someone from behind us cleared their throat. Adrian and I turned. Eddie, Jill, and Angeline stood there, taking in the scene. Eddie, who was sporting a black suit like Adrian's with a blue tie, appeared to be analyzing the situation, unable to come to any logical conclusions as to what was going on. I pretended to share his confusion. Jill gave me a sly smile, which I quickly looked away from.

Adrian took a breath. "Well, let's go Melrose's." Adrian fastened the necklace around Jill's neck and informed her that on top of the charm inside of it, he'd also be performing a light one on her all night. He said he could do it as long as she was within his sight. I was worried about him using so much magic, while everyone else seemed to be more concerned about Jill getting discovered.

"We are about the damned finest fake family I've ever seen," Adrian jabbered as we walked to greenhouse. It was only a couple of blocks away, so we'd all decided just to bear the cold for a few minutes. "I mean look at us. You guys all look great by yourselves, but add me to the mix? Damn. We're really getting somewhere."

A few more minutes of cold walking later, and Adrian was still going, now onto a different subject. The change of subject wasn't unusual for him. He never stayed on one subject for very long.

"Whose great idea was it to _walk_ to this plant place? Why didn't we just get a cab? I think I'm developing hypothermia."

"Hypothermia only occurs when heat loss is greater than heat retention and heat production," I told him. "We haven't been exposed to extreme enough temperatures for a long enough span of time for that to be the case yet." I blushed then, embarrassed for going off on one of my informative tangents.

Adrian snorted. "Thanks Sage. I swear my fingers are going numb though. How are yours? Are they numb at all?"

"No, Adrian. They're not numb. And before you ask, I doubt yours are in danger of falling off."

Adrian was chattering so much he almost appeared . . . nervous. Why would he be nervous? If anyone had the right to be nervous, it was me. I was going to be the only human there. I tried not to think about that too much, because when I did, all of my social anxieties would come rushing back.

When we walked into the lush greenhouse, my breath caught. The room we'd entered had been beautifully decorated with flowers growing along the walls like vines, and dark red table cloths covering scattered tables throughout the room. There was an enormous wedding cake in the corner of the room, and long tables against the walls covered with finger food. In the center of the room, there was what appeared to be a dance floor. This must've been the reception hall. A sign pointed to a door at the back of the reception hall. Opening it, we found a staircase that led us up to the loft-like area where the ceremony was being held.

A few groomsmen met us at the door to usher us in. I was startled when I recognized one of them: Dimitri Belikov. Beside him was a Moroi man I'd seen, but never met. He had black hair and blue eyes, and seemed to be amused. I remembered his name as Christan Ozera.

"Well, well, well. It is a _pleasure_ to see you again Ivashkov," he said dryly.

Adrian had stiffened at Dimitri's presence but rolled his eyes at Christian. "I know you've really missed me, Ozera, but I assure you, these last four months apart have been much more agonizing for me."

Christian turned his eyes to me. "So you're the Alchemist everyone's been talking about. Sydney, right?" He held out a hand and I shook it.

I nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Lord Ozera," I told him. He was the queen's boyfriend, so I wanted to make sure to address him with respect.

He rolled his eyes. "Call me Christian." He turned to Jill then, smiling warmly. I assumed he had been told Adrian was going to use a charm, and therefore he could see her.

"Hey," he told her.

"Hey," she piped back.

Christian held out his arms, linking one with Jill and the other with Angeline. Eddie trailed behind them, and they were seated. Dimitri smiled at me and Adrian, holding out an arm for me, which I awkwardly took. Adrian followed behind us, and we were seated.

I looked around the lavishly decorated room in wonder. Vines like the ones from the reception hall covered the walls and the sides of the chairs. Dark red seemed to be one of the key colors in the wedding. Potted plants containing red flowers strung all around the room. More red flowers hung like streamers from the ceiling. Red rose petals covered the isle. Sitting in this room, it was impossible to believe that it was below freezing outside. I smiled. This wedding was perfect for Sonya. I was so happy she was going to get her happy ending.

"I've never seen so many plants in my life," Adrian said, looking around the room. He looked to me, watching my wonderstruck expression as I continued to take in the scene. "How many weddings have you been too?" He asked me.

I sighed. "Not very many. Certainly not any like this."

"Let me guess. The Alchemists avoid primary colors at their weddings, too?"

I smiled in spite of myself, shaking my head.

Music began to play, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen began to walk down the aisle, two at a time. When the first pairing entered the room, I felt myself freeze, as I realized what had been the cause of Adrian's nervous chatter. Dimitri Belikov and Rose Hathaway walked down the aisle together, as in sync as they were when I'd seen them fight Strigoi.

The bridesmaid gowns that Sonya had picked out came to the bridesmaids' knees and were dark red. They had classy necklines and gave each of the bridesmaids an elegant look. Seeing Rose in that red dress, I suddenly felt plain. Her dark hair had been curled for the occasion and fell long down her back. Her statuesque figure suddenly made me feel frumpy. For some reason, for the first time, her exotic beauty seemed to annoy me.

Beside me, Adrian had gone slightly rigid. As the rest of the ceremony proceeded, I couldn't tear my mind from Rose, one question burning inside of me the entire time.

_How could I ever compete with that?_

* * *

**I was really looking forward to writing this scene, because there were so many emotions to capture. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. And as always, all of your reviews make my day. (: **


	9. Chapter 9 Changing

**Chapter Nine **

**Changing**

After the ceremony everyone headed down to the reception hall. I still felt as though I was in a sort of haze. I made a quick run to the bathroom to make sure that none of my mascara had run because I'd teared up while Mikhail and Sonya said their vows. The love in their eyes was something I hoped I could find someday. Weirdly, it had caused my mind to drift to my parents. They had said the same vows once, yet I never saw anything close to love between them. It was more like they stayed together for me and my sisters. I was wiping my eyes out of caution when the door to the bathroom swung open and I overheard familiar voices.

"I'm telling you though, Liss, this fabric is killing me. It's so hot. It's like I'm wearing an electric blanket," sounded a voice I'd grown to recognize.

The other girl laughed lightly. "You should totally go for an electric blanket. That would be pretty fashionable."

"And I thought _you_ were the fashion icon, your majesty," Rose teased the other girl, who I assumed was Queen Vasilisa Dragomir. I turned around to face the duo.

"Sydney," Rose breathed a sigh of relief and walked forward to hug me. I froze up at first and then tried to make myself relax. Normally I would've tensed because she was half-vampire. But no, that wasn't what did it this time. The thought didn't even occur to me. All I could think about was the fact that she'd once hugged Adrian. She'd once kissed Adrian. She'd once _hurt _Adrian.

I realized in that moment I felt envious of Rose. She'd had the opportunity to be with him in a way that I never would. And she'd thought nothing of it. She had freedom to love who she wanted, who _I_ wanted; someone that meant the world to me had been nothing more than expendable to her. Some rational part of me knew that Rose _had _cared for Adrian, and hadn't _meant_ to hurt him, but I still felt resentment coiling at the pit of my stomach.

"Hey," I said quietly. I looked over to Vasilisa and extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you your majesty."

She smiled warmly. She wore the same red dress as Rose and looked just as beautiful, but in a more regal way. Her light green eyes were identical to Jill's and her platinum blonde hair had been curled in the same Rose's had. I could understand why Jill would feel intimidated.

"Please," she said. "Call me Lissa. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

I cast a suspicious glance at Rose who was grinning mischievously. "Don't worry," Rose said. "I didn't tell her any of the bad stuff. You know, like your freakish addiction to coffee or how much you and Dimitri tried to boss me around when I was a wanted fugitive."

Lissa rolled her eyes at her best friend. "I'm sure that their bossiness was warranted."

Rose shrugged, reminding me oddly of Adrian. "Whatever. I just don't follow directions well." Now _that_ sounded familiar.

"Well," I said, "It's nice to meet you too Lissa."

Lissa smiled at me, her face suddenly softening further. "Hey, Adrian's father is still staying true to his word, isn't he?" It took me a second to realize she was referring to a favor I had indirectly asked her to do for Adrian. A while ago, after an awful luncheon with his father, Nathan Ivashkov, I had asked Dimitri to suggest Lissa put in a good word for Adrian. Nathan had then given Adrian enough money for a car and a reasonable monthly allowance.

I nodded, trying to keep my face clear of any of the emotions Adrian's name stirred within me. "Yes, he is. Thank you so much for doing that," I told her sincerely.

"Lissa didn't mind," Rose said. "Adrian's dad really is an ass. I couldn't stand him." Rose considered something. "Of course, I don't think he was my biggest fan either."

_I can't imagine why,_ I thought harshly. I then felt guilty for feeling so bitter about someone as admirable as Rose. "Yeah. I hated to see Nathan act the way he did about Adrian."

Rose nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you can't really blame the guy for spending most of his life drunk, you know?" Rose said the words jokingly, but they put me on the defensive.

"He's not drinking or smoking anymore," I told her bluntly.

Rose and Lissa looked floored. "Really?" The duo asked in unison.

"Really," I said. "He's taking art classes at Carlton college. He's very talented. He's starting to find his direction. I'm really proud of him," I flushed after my speech. There was nothing wrong with saying that, I assured myself. I was being honest. "You guys should be too." _Especially you,_ I wanted to say to Rose.

Lissa was gazing at something above my head, and I wondered if she was trying to get a fix on my aura. I scooted back as though that might hide some of it from her.

Rose studied me. "Dimitri said you two got along well. I told him that was a good thing. I was hoping maybe you'd rub off on Adrian a bit."

"He did it himself," I clarified. This made the duo examine me even more. "Well," I said awkwardly, deciding right about now was my cue to make a quick exit, "I better go check on Jill." Then I darted out of the bathroom, leaning against the wall outside of it and taking a deep breath to steady myself.

"Sage?"

"Ah!" I jumped, and moved forward from my position on the wall.

Adrian raised his eyebrows at me. "See something scary in there?"

God must've been upset about me practicing witchcraft, because Rose and Lissa came walking out of the bathroom then, talking quietly about something.

The duo turned to us. Lissa brightened. "Adrian!"

Adrian smiled his typical lazy smile. "Hey cousin." The two hugged and then Adrian and Rose were left staring awkwardly at one another.

"Little Dhampir," Adrian said. He was still smiling, I noted, though it did look a little forced.

Rose seemed to relax slightly. "Hey. How are you? Sydney said you were really doing well out in California."

Adrian glanced to me, looking surprised. Then his gaze softened in a way that made my stomach flip. "I think Sage is a bit biased."

"I am not," I said factually. "You are doing well."

Adrian's eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary. "There you go again, always seeing the good in me." He turned his head back to Lissa and Rose. "She sees the good in everyone," he told them.

Lissa smiled. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Adrian cast me another warm glance. "No. There isn't."

Rose was watching us, something seeming to occur to her, something that surprised her. She grabbed Lissa's arm and pulled the Queen with her.

"Well, we'll see you two around," Rose said. "Don't want to keep Christian waiting too long. He might set one of the guests on fire or something."

Lissa protested this as Rose drug her off into the crowd.

Adrian's attention was still on me. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For putting in a good word for me. _Again._"

"It was nothing. I just told Lissa and Rose the truth." I paused, knowing I shouldn't ask him the next question, but unable to stop myself. "Speaking of . . . how are you doing? You know, with Rose being here and all? It can't feel good . . ." I said, thinking to when she and Dimitri had walked down the aisle together. I knew Adrian and I were still on the outs, but I think we both needed each other enough tonight that we'd made a silent agreement not to fight.

Those green eyes held me, glowing despite the dim lighting of the room. "I've told you, she's not the one I'm always thinking about anymore."

My breath caught. Seeing him, standing there in his imperfect perfection, I felt overwhelmed. "Adrian," I finally found enough of my voice to speak, "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

"Don't you believe in telling the truth Sage?" He'd said something similar to me in a very different circumstance once when he'd been applying for jobs.

"Yes. Of course I do. But not . . . not when . . ."

"It's easier to believe a lie?"

I looked down, struck at his words. Deep down, my heart knew he no longer cared for Rose, somewhere inside of me, I did register that his feelings were for me. But once again, the more I accepted how much I meant to him, the harder it was to stay away, the harder it was for me to hide how much he meant to me.

"I wouldn't call it easier," I whispered softly. I turned from him, needing to get away from the energy of his gaze. I made my way through the crowd, vaguely aware of bumping into a few people before I sank into a seat next to Eddie at a table in the back.

He, Jill, and Angeline were sitting together quietly. Jill didn't look up upon my arrival. Her attention was on the dance floor, and there were tears in her eyes.

"Is she all right?" I asked Eddie, careful to keep my voice low enough so she wouldn't hear.

Eddie sighed, and watched her. "Her parents are here. Her mom's Sonya's cousin, you know? But they don't know about the charm, or the fact that she's here at all. She can't say hi or anything. It's too dangerous. She just misses them," he told me.

My heart went out to her. I couldn't have imagined having to watch my family, (Aside from my father) that I hadn't seen in months, and not as much be able to say hello.

"Poor Jill," I said. "I wish there was something we could do."

Eddie nodded. "She's trying to be strong, like always." His face shone with sadness and admiration. "Sometimes I don't know how she does it."

The reception progressed and Mikhail and Sonya had their first dance as husband and wife. They spun across the floor elegantly, looking only at each other, the rest of us seeming to be invisible. Mikhail's best man, who turned out to be Dimitri, gave a toast to the happy couple, and about halfway through, Jill's mother, Emily, began to speak as the maid of honor.

As, Emily, Jill's mother spoke, I looked over to see Jill leaning her head on Adrian's shoulder. He had come and taken a seat next to her during Dimitri's toast. He put an arm around her protectively, acting as though he truly was her older brother. I found myself wishing I had an older brother figure like that, someone who had no romantic feelings for me, yet could understand me in a very unique way and would always be there to protect me. Eddie was kind of like an older brother, but he always seemed to be worried about Jill and Angeline.

Inside my dress purse, my phone vibrated, and I pulled it out, wondering who could possibly need to contact me. What could the Alchemists possibly want with me now?

The message wasn't from an Alchemist though. Well, not exactly.

_Hey Sydney. Just wanted to keep you updated. Only a few more Full Moons showed up after we left last night. Wolfe had to get a new eye-patch, but no detrimental injuries occurred, although Wolfe might disagree. Have fun with your Alchemist business._

_-Marcus_

I was about to reply when another message came in.

_About the altercation with Adrian last night . . . I'm sorry I behaved like I did. I guess I just wanted him to know that there was someone capable of beating him up if he ever hurt you._

I smiled in spite of myself. I still didn't understand why Marcus cared so much about my well-being, but I guess I had no reason to question it. With the way everything around me seemed to be slowly falling apart, I decided just to appreciate it.

_Thanks. I'm so glad everyone's okay. Wolfe's eye patch was looking a little weathered anyway. And it's all right. Contrary to what you might believe, I could beat him up myself if I needed too. But it's the thought that counts._

A moment later, Marcus replied: _Oh, I believe you could beat him up yourself, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to help._

I felt my smile widen, and I tried to relax. Once Emily was done with her speech, more dancing occurred. Adrian disappeared into the crowd, and I made small talk with the rest of the gang. Angeline was in awe of the guardians that stood along the wall, and Jill's mood had increased considerably. I let them know that I had to spend Christmas with my real family, and they almost seemed . . . sad.

Jill pouted. "But I got you a present." I had bought Jill, Eddie, and Angeline presents too. Adrian's hadn't been something I could get at a store.

"It'll still be there when I get back." They all still seemed down. "I'll be back in time for New Year's Eve," I told them.

Jill grinned. "That's good. Adrian wants to have a New Year's Eve party."

I grinned back. "Well, I certainly can't miss that." The group began talking about what all was going to happen at Adrian's New Year's Eve bash when I caught sight of him across the dance floor.

He was sitting at a table all the way on other side of the reception hall, conversing with a beautiful dhampir I recognized all too well. Adrian and Rose appeared to talking about something intense; both of them were leaned across the table. Adrian was speaking, and Rose was listening thoughtfully. He said something that made her laugh, and she shook her head at him. She then said something that made him smile, and then he hung his head, something seeming to trouble him.

Back at my table, I hung my own head. I knew Adrian claimed to have feelings for me now, but I didn't understand it. I didn't understand how he could go from Rose to me. Rose had taken down ranks of guardians and more Strigoi than even she could count. I had one crazy witch after me, and I was just now learning how to take her down.

He had to be lying to himself, I thought. There was no way any man that had once loved Rose Hathaway could ever love me, at least not as much. Logically, it was impossible.

I might've been book smart, but Rose was street smart. I might've been pretty, but Rose was beautiful. I might've been special, but Rose was extraordinary. I might've been Adrian's current choice, but Rose had been his first.

Eddie sensed my change in mood. "You okay?"

I met three pairs of concerned eyes. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just going to go get some air."

I got up from the table, and quietly exited the greenhouse, leaning against its concrete walls. The cold air helped me to escape the haze I'd been in, but I wrapped my arms around myself for warmth. I was vaguely aware of the door opening behind me, but thought nothing of it. What happened next wasn't rooted in how I felt I compared to Rose. I didn't know what caused it, really. There wasn't one thing I could pinpoint.

I sank down onto the snow-covered pavement, crushed by some invisible weight, everything hitting me all at once.

Thoughts of Simone's mission to kill me, the mystery that was Marcus, my father's constant disappointment in me, the secrets I knew the Alchemists had to be hiding, and the possible consequences of my feelings for a vampire seemed to engulf me, pulling me under. I felt as though I was drowning, like I was in too deep to get out. I kept trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but every time I got close to reaching it, one of my own personal demons would pull me back into the darkness.

Tears ran down my cheeks, and I let them fall gratefully, happy to have found some sort of outlet. I'd held everything in for most of my life, and now everything seemed to want out. I felt the snowy ground beside me shift, but I kept my head buried in my knees, not wanting to acknowledge who was there. A warm arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned into it, needing the comfort. I'd known he'd followed me the second I'd heard the door open behind me.

His familiar cologne flooded my senses, and I felt my tears increase. I let myself cry, not ashamed for him to see me like this. He would never judge me, I knew that. Regardless, I needed him to see me like this. I needed him to see that I wasn't as together as everyone always seemed to think. Something told me he already knew that. We said nothing, and he let me cry, my tears getting all over his suit.

After a couple of minutes, my breathing slowed, and my tears began to cease. We sat there for a few moments, in silence. For the first time, I was the one that broke it, my voice nearly inaudible.

"I don't know who I am anymore," I whispered.

Adrian's hold on me tightened. "You're Sydney," he told me simply.

I gave a harsh laugh. "I don't know what that means anymore. I'm losing myself, Adrian."

"I think you're changing, but I don't think you're losing yourself."

"Changing?" I asked softly, looking up to him. He was staring off into the city, his face thoughtful. Finally, he turned to face me.

"Yeah. Changing. It can happen, you know. I mean, think about how much I've changed since we first met. I mean, when I first met you, I was a messed up, half-crazy, broken-hearted, bratty, party-boy. And now . . . well, I'm different. I'm still pretty damn messed up, and yeah, I'm always going to be a little crazy, and I'm still kind of a bratty party-boy at times . . . but . . . now . . . at least my life has some direction. And as for my heart . . . well, it hurts more than it ever has in some ways . . . but in others, it's never been as whole."

More tears built up in my eyes, and I hastily tried to wipe them away. Adrian reached out his free hand to help me, and continued.

"But despite all of the changes I'm going through . . . I'm still Adrian, you know? And well, Adrian's always going to be awesome. He's always going to have trouble focusing on one thing for longer than thirty seconds, and he's always going to be handy with a paint-brush." He shrugged. "And Sydney? Well, despite all of the changes she's going through, she's always going to have some awesome stuff going for her too. For one, she's always going to be able to spurt out random bits of knowledge, and she's always going to try to help everybody and never expect anything in return. No matter what else about her changes, things like that won't."

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer, a feeling building inside of me that warmed me to my core.

"Thank you," I whispered. It was all I could say.

* * *

**I hope that Sydney didn't come off whiny. I tried very hard not to write her that way. I thought that she had quite a few reasons to cry, and I felt that Adrian really needed to see her sort of...vulnerable. I hope Richelle lets Sydney open up to Adrian in The Indigo Spell, and I feel pretty sure she will. ****This scene was just my version of how that might go. As always, I love reading your reviews!**


	10. Chapter 10 Kahlua

**Chapter Ten**

**Kahlua**

After my semi-break-down, Adrian and I had headed back into the reception, fearing our friends would start to notice our absence. My head was pounding from crying but Adrian had assured me no one would be able to tell. I did my best to put my worries out of my head and a smile on my face as we made our way through the dark lighting. The dance floor was much more crowded now, and the reception seemed to be going fabulously.

Adrian and I were standing by a refreshments table, and I smiled at the dancers.

"It looks like everyone's really starting to loosen up some," I remarked.

Adrian chuckled. "No Sage. Everyone's starting to get drunk."

I watched the dancers a bit more carefully and finally nodded my head in agreement. "I guess you're right." Adrian set his gaze on Jill when he found her, and continued to strengthen her charm a little bit. Talking about drinks had made me thirsty, and I turned around to see what was on the refreshments table. A brown drink caught my eye. I picked up a cup and sniffed it. It smelled like . . . coffee. With a relieved sigh, I took a large sip.

It tasted like coffee with cream and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint. Regardless, it tasted amazing, and was the closest thing I'd had to coffee since this morning on the way to the airport. Adrian told me he was going to go check on Jill, and I nodded, too absorbed in my coffee to go with him.

After another cup of coffee, I started to feel warm. My face felt flushed, and I frowned, and took off my trench coat, laying it across an empty spot on the refreshments table.

"Phew, that feels better," I said to myself and all the others in a twenty foot radius who likely heard me. I was vaguely aware of movement to my left, and I turned apparently much more quickly than I intended because I almost lost my balance. Awkwardly, I caught myself on the table, and hoped that wouldn't leave a bruise on my arm.

The movement to my left had been Rose Hathaway approaching the table to get a refreshment of her own.

"You should try that one." I pointed to the coffee. "You're a coffee lover, right Rose?"

"Um, not really, I-" Rose looked at me cautiously. "You . . . okay Sydney?" She seemed to be focusing on my eyes.

"Psh, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Suddenly, I felt angry with her. "Are you okay? I don't see a man with you."

Rose chuckled. "Ah, I see."

"Really? Cause I'm kind of having trouble, and I was thinking it was the lighting, but . . . if you can see," I deduced, "that would indicate the lighting is not the cause of the problem. Hmm," I mused out loud, "I need to give this some more thought . . ."

Rose was smiling back at me, her dark eyes twinkling. "Yeah. Well," she pulled out a chair from behind the table, "why don't you do that while you have a seat?"

I shook my head. "It's okay. I can think on my feet."

Rose laughed. "All right. Well, you do that then." Chuckling again, she left.

I turned my attention back to the dance floor and caught sight of Jill, dancing with Adrian. They both seemed to be having a good time, and he was watching her in that protective way of his. I felt a warmth as I watched him watch over her. So many people thought he was only about drinking and fun when the truth was Adrian was deep. He had a big heart and an old soul.

Suddenly, I stopped myself. Was I crazy? This was Adrian _hands don't do manual labor Ivashkov,_Adrian _give me a cheery slushy_ Ivashkov, the Adrian _prefer a drink over a meal_ Ivashkov. True, he was all of those things, but he was also the man I now saw guiding Jill across the dance floor, his eyes filled with big-brotherly love and concern.

I took a sip of my coffee. "He's an enigma," I said.

"Who's an enigma?"

I spun to my right this time, finding it necessary to brace myself on the table once again. I found myself facing Christian Ozera, who had come to get a refreshment.

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked.

Christian frowned. "Yeah, you did, you crazy Alchemist." He grabbed a drink and walked away, looking over his shoulder once in caution as he disappeared into the crowd.

I caught sight of Adrian and Jill again and I gave him a huge wave. "Adrian!" I shouted. Only one thought was present in my mind after my enthusiastic wave.

_Did I just do that?_

I must have, because Adrian was now leaving Jill and heading over to me.

"Hey," I told him.

He eyed me cautiously. Why was everyone looking at me like that? He seemed to be examining my eyes.

"Hey yourself, Sage," he told me. He lowered his eyes to the cup of coffee I was holding. "What is that?"

"Coffee," I chirped.

**"It's Kahlua, Sage. Packed with sugar and coffee flavor."**

I frowned. "What?"

He took the cup from me and set it on the table behind me. "Hey," I protested. Adrian grabbed my arms and gently tried to make me sit in the chair Rose had pulled out for me.

"It's always about the hands with you, isn't it? They don't do manual labor but they push me down in chairs. I don't want to sit down."

Adrian gave up trying to force me and sighed. "Well, it's that or I take you back to the hotel. Which one?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. "Neither."

Adrian eyed me with amusement. "Hotel. Okay. That's what I thought you would pick." He turned to the table, grabbed my trench coat and draped it over my shoulders. He then wrapped an arm around me and began gently leading me out of the reception hall. At some point on our way out, he stopped to say something to Jill, Angeline and Eddie, but I was too busy trying to explain to them my problem with the rooms lighting to understand his exact words.

Once we were outside in the cold Pennsylvania air, I leaned into him more, clinging to his warmth. I appreciated it, yet I somehow found myself saying, "This was your plan wasn't it? You wanted to get me alone. You're going to take advantage of me. That's why you wanted to leave."

"Yeah. That's it," he said dryly. "Can you make it walking or do you want me to get a cab?"

"I can walk."

Adrian nodded and allowed me to use his body to brace myself every time I swayed. He was silent, but every now and then he would glance at me, his green eyes filled with such a fondness standing up grew even harder.

When we finally got in the hotel's lobby, I sighed. "It is cold out there," I said, to whoever in particular was listening. Apparently a lot of people were because quite a few of the guests in the lobby eyed us. "It's cold enough for a jacket," I elaborated.

Adrian pushed me along into the elevator. "Come on," he said chuckling. "You don't need to give the entire lobby a weather report."

When we arrived on our floor, I turned to the first door on the right.

Adrian chuckled. "That's my room, Sage." He steered me to the left. "This is yours."

I was starting to fade fast and I knew it. I caught my balance against my room's door and looked up into his eyes.

"You have the prettiest green eyes," I told him. "All four of them are like . . . emeralds."

"Four of them?" Adrian snorted. "God I wish I had a free hand to record this with my phone. Well, I'm glad you approve. Come on, I'll help you into bed."

I sighed, and then found myself giggling. "Adrian's going to help me into bed," I whispered, giggling a little more.

He grabbed the room's card from my purse and opened the door. Standing had become nearly impossible and I felt myself being lifted off of the ground into Adrian's long arms. He carried me over to the bed and set me down on the edge of it so that he could pull the covers back. Once he'd done that, he knelt down and gently slid off my black heels. He then slid off my trench coat.

"Make sure you hang it up," I murmured, falling back against the bed. "It's nice material."

I heard him chuckle. "Of course."

I tried to pull myself up to the top of the bed, but I was having trouble in my stupor. Adrian appeared by my side, as faithful as ever, and tenderly helped me tuck myself in.

"I'm never doing this again," I told him, my voice muffled by the pillow.

"That's what I always tell myself," he mused, turning off the lamp on my bedside table.

A small smile began to spread across my face and I felt my eyes closing. The warmth of the bed seemed to be pulling me under. I felt exhausted.

When I was just about gone, I felt something warm, gently brushing my cheek. And then, I could've sworn I heard a soft voice whisper, "I love you, Sydney."

_I know, _was my last conscious thought. _I know._

The next morning, I awoke to the worst headache of my life. The sunlight filtering in through my window stung my eyes, and I groaned putting an arm up over them. I stumbled clumsily out of bed, surprised to find myself still wearing the emerald dress from the wedding last night.

That was when I remembered it.

The Kahlua, that God-forsaken Kahlua. How dare anyone invent a drink that tasted like coffee but had effects like this? I shivered at the thought of everything that had happened last night. The night was too foggy for specifics but a few words did tug at me.

"_I love you, Sydney."_

I could've sworn I'd heard Adrian mutter those words to me before he'd left my room, but as I took my shower I reminded myself I had been drunk enough to fall asleep in a three-hundred dollar dress, therefore I had been drunk enough to imagine anything, even Adrian telling me something like that.

Once I'd climbed out of the shower, I blow-dried my hair, and even used Jill's curling iron on it again, letting it fall in natural waves. I applied heavier make up than usual, trying to hide how pale I looked. I slid on my nicest pair of khakis and a navy blue, long-sleeved cashmere sweater.

Once I was sure I'd packed everything, I grabbed my suitcase and headed down to the continental breakfast, knowing that I'd find everyone there. When I was in the lobby, I glanced between the continental breakfast room and the hotel's front doors. I could've left right then, and just avoided them all, avoided _him._ I could've just gone ahead to the airport, and gotten a cup of coffee while I waited for my flight to Salt Lake City. Today was Sunday, and I did have a ten-o'clock flight booked. It was only eight right now though, and it would've been rude to leave without saying goodbye.

I hung my head and made my way to the continental breakfast room. I found my "family" sitting at a table in the corner, and I walked up on their conversation.

"She wasn't saying that she wanted to go kill her own chicken," Eddie was sighing in exasperation.

"Not directly, no," Adrian said. "But the civilized-world snobbery was still there."

Angeline clenched her fists under the table. "All I was trying to say was that the eggs where I'm from taste better than these."

Adrian snorted. "The eggs at the questionable Waffle House across the street probably taste better than these."

Jill took a breath and noticed me. "Oh good, Sydney. You're here."

Everyone turned to me. Eddie chuckled. "And it's about time. We were about to send the hangover police to go and check on you." He nodded his head toward Adrian.

Adrian shrugged. "You wouldn't have had to send me. I would've eventually sent myself."

I felt mortified and my next words came out in a rush. "I'm so sorry about last night. I had no idea that drink was alcoholic. It was stupid and irresponsible and it won't happen again."

They all exchanged looks and then every single one of them laughed. "You sound like we're your parents or something," Jill said.

Adrian grinned. "Hey, at least you kept your liquor down."

"Yeah," Angeline added. "The first time I got drunk, I puked all over one of my friend's caves."

Adrian jerked his head toward her. "Caves?" He, Jill, and Eddie exclaimed at the same time. Angeline went on to explain to them that some of the Keepers did indeed live in caves, and it was kind of big deal to have one when you were young and single.

"Nothing more romantic than bringing your date home to a cave. 'Hey baby. Why don't you just lay out on that boulder in the corner? I'm going to _rock _your world.'" Adrian said dryly. "And yes, before any of you ask, that pun was intended."

I shook my head at him and took a seat. "You're a mess," I told him, taking a seat next to him.

"Tell me something I don't know."

I relaxed, and felt foolish for thinking that any of them might think less of me for getting drunk. However, I knew they would _never _let me forget it.

We all made small talk, and I was startled when I realized Christmas Eve was tomorrow. The gang seemed sad about me not being able to spend Christmas with them. Adrian was fairly neutral about it, and I assumed Jill and everyone had already filled him in. I would have rather been spending Christmas with them too, I found myself thinking as I boarded my flight a few hours later.

When I landed in Salt Lake City, it was about three-o'clock in the afternoon there, and I was earlier than my father had expected. I decided to kill time by renting a nice car that greatly resembled Latte and shopping for Christmas presents for my real family. When it was exactly seven-o'clock, I decided it was finally safe to arrive at my house. I didn't want to be early or late, because then my father would get on my case.

My head was still hurting from the hangover when I rang my familiar houses doorbell.

"Hello Sydney," My father said rigidly as he answered the door. "Come inside."

* * *

**The Adrian quote in bold has actually been released from The Indigo Spell as a teaser. Yup. Sydney, Adrian, and alcohol guys. I couldn't resist the urge to incorporate that quote into this chapter. Thanks so much for all of the reviews! They really keep me motivated. (:**


	11. Chapter 11 The Definition of Family

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Definition of Family**

I did as I was told and walked into my house, smelling the familiar scent of my mother's holiday cooking. The house smelt of cookies and the fireplace burned with welcoming warmth. My mother's face as she came into the room and saw me was almost enough to make up for my father's looming figure.

"Sydney!" She exclaimed, and she ran over to hug me. I hugged her back grateful to see her after all of this time. She pulled back slightly and examined me, pulling my hair around to the front of my shoulders.

"I've missed you so much," she told me. There were tears in her eyes and she just pulled me into another hug.

"Careful mom. Can't. Breathe," I managed to get out. Jamie Sage had been known to nearly strangle people when she hugged them.

She smiled. "Come in the kitchen with me. There's someone who is dying to see you."

I followed her into our kitchen curiously. When I saw who was sitting at the table, I felt my smile turn into an outright grin.

"Hey," my oldest sister Carly told me, springing up from her seat at the kitchen table. "You should try some of the cookies. I burnt the first batch but this batch actually turned out pretty good."

I hugged her, taking in her warmth. She'd been away at college and because of that I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to her when I had initially left for my mission.

"You're better at hugging than you used to be," she mused, pulling back.

"I've really been trying to work on it," I told her dryly. My mom smiled and handed us both cups of hot chocolate.

"Is it sugar free?" I asked my mom.

She scowled. "Drink it. It doesn't matter whether it's sugar-free or not." She eyed me and Carly, and began to walk toward the doorway. "I'll give you two some time to catch up." And my mom left, leaving me to take a seat with Carly at the table.

"You look different," Carly told me, resting her head on her hands and examining me.

"One of my friends let me borrow her curling iron," I told her, careful not to elaborate that the friend I was referring to was a vampire princess.

Carly smiled. "A definite improvement. But that's not what I mean . . . you look . . . more mature, maybe? I can't really pinpoint it . . ."

I shrugged. "Well, you look great. How's college?"

Carly's face brightened further. "Oh my gosh, it's amazing. I love it so much. There are so many new people, so many awesome things to study. My roommate is really messy though and she . . ." And Carly went on, describing her normal life. She and her roommate had recently gotten a puppy, which they'd named Frisco. Frisco had torn up one of Carly's textbooks and she'd been so upset with him she'd taken away his favorite squeaky toy. I was surprised to hear Carly also had a boyfriend named Jonathan and they had been dating for about four months. He wanted to major in criminal justice and stop sex-crimes, which Carly greatly admired, having been a victim of rape. I noticed she avoided the topic of Keith and I decided I wouldn't bring it up unless she did.

Carly gushed lovingly about Jonathan a little while longer. He'd taken her on an impromptu picnic across campus one day and snuck into her dorm one night to wish her happy birthday right at midnight. I smiled, genuinely happy that she had found someone that treated her the way she deserved to be treated. At the same time though, I found myself envying how easy she made love and life sound. I would've loved to have had someone to do that kind of stuff for me.

Someone that I could have, anyway.

"What about you?" She asked me. "Have you met anyone?"

"Of course I've met people," I told her.

"No, no Sydney," she laughed. "Like, a _guy_."

"Well, yes. I had a boyfriend for a little while . . ." I added, hoping she would take that as the reason I was blushing.

"Really?" Carly exclaimed, leaning across the table.

"Yeah. We broke up because he thought I was irresponsible because I had to keep ditching him for Alchemist business."

She laughed. "You, _irresponsible?"_

"He's wasn't that far off, actually," I told her ominously, shaking my head. "You'd be surprised at some of the stuff I've gotten myself into lately . . ." I blurted out, giving a nervous laugh.

Carly eyed me with surprise. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

I looked down at my coffee. "Trust me, you'd rather not know."

She scoffed. "Are you into hard drugs or-?"

"Sydney?" My father stuck his head in the room and Carly and I jumped. "A word?" He asked.

I nodded, getting up from the table quietly. Jared left the room expecting me to follow and Carly gave me a look. "Have fun," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Always do," I chimed back and she rolled her eyes.

I followed my father into the living room and took a seat on the loveseat opposite of him. His arms were crossed, and he regarded me coolly.

"Yes, Dad?" I began.

"I trust your assignment is going well, that you're keeping the Dragomir girl safe?"

I nodded. "Yes sir." He _knew_ that, I thought. He kept in touch with Stanton. He knew about all of my accomplishments, about his golden-boy Keith being busted. He knew just as much as my superiors, yet here he was playing uncertain, just like always. Here he was, having no faith in me, just like always.

"Good," he said brusquely. "The assignment shouldn't continue too much longer. In the remaining time, all I ask is that you don't screw it up."

That comment unnerved me. I'd made _one_, one mistake in all of my time in being Alchemist, yet he still continued to hold it over me. The rest of the Alchemists had begun to forget my involvement in helping Rose, so why couldn't he? Why was he so insistent on thinking the worst of me? It was miserable for me, of course, but wasn't it miserable for him too? If I ever had children one day, I certainly couldn't imagine finding delight in treating them the way he treated me. So why did he do it? Why did he feel the need to be the way he was?

"My superiors are quite impressed with the job I've done," I said carefully.

"Well, we don't do this job for recognition or glory," he said pointedly. "Frankly, I can't believe I haven't had to bring you back already. I keep thinking it's only a matter of time," he muttered, smoothing the fabric of his dress shirt.

I swallowed, feeling my anger rise to a dangerous and unexpected level. "Well I'm glad I could exceed your expectations," I said stiffly.

He studied me for a moment. "Well . . . yes, I suppose you have, though they weren't all too high to begin with."

Feeling like I'd been slapped, I shook my head and looked down, unable to find words, which surprised me. There should've been so many things I wanted to say to him, so many things I'd held back my entire life. But I couldn't bring myself to confront him, or yell at him, or allow him to see the damage he continued to do. After all, what good would come of it? I'd only spike his temper, which he would then take out on my mother and my sisters. It wasn't like anything I said would change his mind about me either. My words, like my accomplishments, would simply roll right off of him.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss?" I asked him formally, my fists clenched at my sides.

He pondered this for a moment. "Not that I can think of, unless you have any questions for me."

I mumbled a "No sir" just before I turned to leave. Just as I was out of the doorway, something occurred to me. I walked slowly back into the room, and my father regarded me curiously.

"Yes?" He asked.

I worked very hard to look as acquitted as possible while asking my next question. "Have you ever heard of Marcus Finch?" I already knew the answer of course. Marcus had mentioned that Jared had trained him. Still, I wondered just how much my father knew of the ex-Alchemist. Did he know why Marcus had left? Had he been at the meeting when he did? Was he going to play dumb like Stanton?

My father's face paled, and I watched some unidentifiable emotion flash in his brown eyes. He leaned forward and studied me, his brow furrowing. "Where did you hear that name?" He asked crisply.

I gave a shrug. "Mr. Donahue mentioned that a human named Marcus Finch intervened on his behalf once, when he was attacked by some of the Warriors. Since this Marcus guy knew all about the Warriors, I thought he had to be an Alchemist. I can't find any record of him anywhere, though." I gave my father a puzzled look.

"He is no one you want to find, Sydney, of that I assure you," my father said harshly.

"So he exists then?" I asked, surprised he had admitted as much.

"That, I don't know. He could be dead for all I know – or care, to be honest. Just forget about him."

"I was hoping he might have some more information on the Warriors."

"Well," he said, obviously growing more uncomfortable with each passing moment, "any information you need about them you could get from Stanton."

I was about to comment that Stanton hadn't even told me they existed until I'd figured it out on my own, but then decided against it. I muttered a goodnight, and retreated to my bedroom, relieved to have our visit over.

I was lying on my bed, pondering everything I'd just witnessed from my father, when my phone rang. Sighing, I answered it, wondering who could possibly want to contact me. I halfway expected it to be Adrian freaking out about the gang's long flight back to Palm Springs, and looking for entertainment.

"Hello?" I answered, sitting up.

"Sydney? Where are you?"

I sat up, shocked. "Who is this? Marcus?"

"Last time I checked," he responded dryly.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, worrying that Simone had caused drama while I was away.

"I don't know. You tell me," he snapped. "I thought you were supposed to be back in town tonight." He sounded really frustrated.

"It's not up to you to keep tabs on where I'm at," I growled.

"Maybe not. But you still should've told me you weren't going to be in town tonight. You worried the _entire coven._ I just asked that irksome vampire of yours, Adrian, where you were and he told me, 'somewhere not thinking about you.' _Smartass._"

"You asked _Adrian?_ Where did you even find him?"

"In his apartment," Marcus said flatly.

"What is wrong with you?"

"How long do you have?" He asked wryly.

"I can't deal with this right now," I told him. "You and your ex-Alchemist antics need to find someone else to bother."

"Funny. I think Adrian had the same opinion."

"Get away from his apartment and don't provoke him," I ordered the warlock.

Marcus' laugh crackled through the other end of the line. "It's kind of a shame he hates me so much. If he didn't, he'd probably be kind of fun to hang around with."

"_No,"_ was all I said. Those two men had enough disregard for rules and authority on their own. Neither of them needed to be exposed to the other's messy track record.

Marcus was silent for a long moment. "Well, I'm glad you're okay," he finally said, growing serious once more. "When will you be back?"

"Wednesday night," I told him.

He sighed, and it took him a few moments to get his next words out. " Sorry for bothering you."

"It's fine." We said our goodbyes, and as soon as we had hung up, my phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked tiredly.

"Sage! That dumb warlock just popped up at my door, and I know he was trying to juju me into telling him where you're at."

I sighed. "Adrian no one was trying to juju you," I told him, though I wasn't so sure.

"Sage, I don't like him."

"I know that." _And so does he,_ I added in my head.

"Okay," Adrian said. "Everything good at home?"

"Good? More like excellent," I said dryly.

"What do you mean?"

"I doubt my father got me a Christmas present."

We said goodbye too, and I fell back on the bed, back into the passive state I'd been in. As I laid there, my thoughts drifted back to Marcus, and my father's obvious reaction earlier. It was clear he knew a lot more about the ex-Alchemist than he was letting on.

Suddenly a crazy idea occurred to me, a plan to find out more about Marcus myself. This time in town with my family would be my only opportunity to do it, and on a whim I decided to do it tonight. I went down to the kitchen and got some coffee, determined to keep myself awake.

When the clock struck 2 A.M., and I was certain everyone was asleep, I pulled the invisibility amulet quietly from my bag, and placed it carefully around my neck. I knew I had already done it once, but I still prayed that I was strong enough to not need to hold the powdered ginger root in my hand. I would need both of my hands to go through the papers in my father's office.

Taking a deep breath, I muttered the incantation, willing myself to become invisible. I connected to my magic, trying my best to let it know how much I truly needed to not be seen. A cool rush of air suddenly seemed to blow across my skin, signaling that it had worked. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the lantern I'd found and began to tiptoe down the hall.

My father's office was the last door on the right, and it was a room no one was allowed to enter, not even my mother. I knew the consequences would be drastic if I were to be caught, which was why I was relying so heavily on my magic to get me though this. My footsteps sounded like I was stomping, and I tried to remind myself that was only because I was so afraid of being caught. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I pushed to door to my father's office open.

The room was larger than my bedroom, but just as organized. A sleek computer sat on a desk against the far wall of the room and a leather chair was pushed up under the desk. The wooden coffee table in the center of the room was nicely polished, as were the wooden book shelves which lined almost all four walls. In the far left corner of the room, I discovered what I'd been looking for.

There were three different file cabinets, labeled alphabetically. I walked swiftly over to the first one, which had the letters A-F written across the front. Carefully, I pulled open the doors to the cabinet, flinching when they squeaked slightly. I fumbled through the papers in the stack until I got to F. A lot of the folders had last names on them like Fagen, Ferguson, ect. Other folders contained legal documents and experimental data. Finally, I found the folder labeled with the surname I was looking for.

_Finch, Marcus._

I resisted the urge to let a loud whooping noise. I flipped back through the files to make sure I hadn't missed anything. When I was back in the A's, I saw a paper with my name written near the top. I frowned, and placed it into the stack with Marcus' file, curious as to what I was doing in the A-F file cabinet.

Picking the stack of papers up, I walked carefully over to my father's copier, located on the far side of the room. I made copies of each of the papers I had obtained and then placed the original papers back where I'd found them. After I was sure I had covered my tracks, I picked up the copies I'd made and left the room, closing the door behind me. Once in the hall, I turned off the lantern, pushing my magic to conceal it as well.

I was nearly back in my room when I saw my parent's bedroom door open. My father walked out, and I could see he was heading straight to my room to stick his head in there. Sometimes it was like he _expected_ me to be up something. I needed a distraction, anything, to keep him from looking in my bed and realizing I wasn't in it. I tightened my grip on the lantern I was holding and tossed it down the stairs.

My father swore when he heard the noise and took off in the other direction to investigate. I half-ran back to my room and closed the door as softly as I could. I jumped in the bed, slipping the papers into the drawer of my nightstand. Pulling the covers up over myself, I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Once I was sure he was gone, I grabbed the papers from inside of my nightstand, and a flashlight that I kept on my dresser in case of a power outage. Shining the flashlight over Marcus' file, I began to examine it.

One of the first things I encountered in the file was a list of Marcus' impressive accomplishments. In addition to dealing with the Warriors and reporting them, he'd saved a Moroi girl from a Strigoi attack and had been part of an elite research team that studied spirit magic. Marcus Finch turned out to be his biological name, and I froze when I saw what his adopted name had been.

_Marcus Darnell._

Marcus had been raised by Tom Darnell, Keith's father? Marcus had grown up with _Keith_? Reading through more of the files, I discovered Marcus' age put him about a year or two older than Keith. Marcus really had been quite the superstar, and that fact caused something to occur to me. Was that one of the reasons Keith had such a sick thirst to prove himself? Had he spent most of his life in his older brother's shadow?

As I flipped through more of the files, I also realized that my father had indeed been spending a lot of time training Marcus, around the same time he'd just began training me. That had been why he'd never taken me on cool trips or anything. He'd been too busy helping Marcus. I shook my head in wonder, thinking of the number of times Marcus and I could have easily crossed paths, yet we hadn't until now.

Marcus' largest assignment had been located nowhere other than Palm Springs. He had been issued there to go undercover at Amberwood Prep and "befriend" Tamara Donahue, Clarence's niece. The Alchemists had somehow heard of Clarence's spirit magic because of a rumor that Clarence had turned a man back from being a Strigoi. They wanted Marcus to observe what all Clarence's mysterious magic could do, and report back to them.

I couldn't believe everything I was reading. So many pieces of the mystery that was Marcus were finally beginning to fit together.

As I continued to read, Marcus' files made one thing very clear: He had ending up doing more than pretending to befriend Tamara. He had fallen in love with her.

_Preposterous, disgusting. One of the highest treasons an Alchemist could commit, _one of his superiors had written on his file. Marcus had been caught and sentenced to three months of Re-education. When I saw who had busted him, I gasped.

_"It was a very, very difficult thing to do, after spending so much time with this young man; truthfully, I blame myself. I must've not ingrained our training deeply enough. Sending him to Re-education was the best option."_

Those were the words of my father, shortly after he had turned Marcus in. I didn't know how he'd found out about Marcus' indiscretions, but he had nonetheless. It shouldn't have surprised me really. I thought back to Marcus' obvious bitterness when Jared's name had come up in our first long conversation, at Clarence's. I read through my father's statement again, and a few of his words stood out: _"I must not have ingrained our training deeply enough."_

Was that one of the reasons my father was so controlling of me? Was he so adamant I follow rules because Marcus hadn't? Was he so paranoid about me breaking them because Marcus had?

I pushed that revelation to the back of my mind and continued through Marcus' file. Marcus had done his time, and the story pretty much unfolded as he'd told me from there. Once out of the Re-education center, he returned to Palm Springs briefly, only to find that Tamara had been murdered by Lee in his absence.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew Marcus well enough to know he probably felt like it was his fault that she'd been murdered. I knew he probably felt like she would still be alive if he had been there.

_"That's why you need to leave them _now, _Sydney,"_ His words echoed in my head.

There were statements in Marcus' file from witnesses who had seen him use his magic the day he had betrayed the Alchemists. I read the witnesses' words, my hands shaking.

"_Just as bad as the vampires."_

"_Evil at its worst."_

"_Unnatural."_

"_Some sort of creature."_

"_A _monster._"_

Those were just a few different words documented by the witnesses. I clenched the papers close to my chest, a tear rolling down my cheek. I was no different than Marcus.

If my own people knew what I was, they would see me as nothing more than a monster. I laid there against my bed for a few minutes, trying to stop the world from spinning. In an attempt to get my mind off of what I had just read, I picked up the paper that I'd seen my name on, curious as to what it was. As I picked up that old piece of paper, I had no idea it was about to change my entire life forever.

Across the top of the document, in faded black ink were the words:

CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION; SYDNEY KATHERINE SAGE.

And like that, my world was flipped on its axis.

* * *

**Da da da dum.**

**On Sydney being adopted: A lot more will be explained in the next chapter. This fanfic is only the way I think The Indigo Spell might go. I have no real idea, though I think Sydney being adopted is a very real possibility. After all, where'd she get her magic from? Her mom being a witch just didn't seem like a big enough shocker. Keith has made the comment she's "nothing like her sisters". Also, the series is called Bloodlines, and the slogan is "blood doesn't lie." Everything points to something being very off in Sydney's family. **

**I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I read every single one of your reviews. I had no idea that I would get this many of them, or follows, or anything of that nature. I'm so glad you all like the story!**

**Oh. Since we don't know Sydney's mom's first name yet, I decided to name her Jamie, haha.**


	12. Chapter 12 The Truth

**Chapter Twelve **

**The Truth**

The next morning, after what must've been the most insane night of my life – which was saying something – I stood in my mother's garage, surrounded by parts of the car with which she was toying. The car was a 2008 Ford Fusion, and she had the parts strewn out all over the concrete floor and the hood of the vehicle up. Everything appeared to be in good shape; nothing appeared to be wrong with the parts. My mother had just taken the engine apart so that she could put it back together again. On any other day, that would've made me smile, but not today.

My mother came through the side door of the garage. She had on her gloves, and had appeared to be coming in to continue working on the Fusion. I clenched the papers I was holding behind my back tighter, causing them to crumple. She turned at the noise and looked startled to see me standing there.

"Sydney?" She breathed. "I didn't expect you to be up so early. I thought you might want to sleep in since it's a holiday."

I shrugged. "My body's just used to being up at this time."

My mom still looked a bit wary of me. Like Adrian, she possessed that uncanny ability to read people, and she could sense that something wasn't quite right. "Do you want to help me with the car then? I've just been taking it apart so I could put it back together." She brushed some of her brown hair behind her ears and gave me a smile.

"No thanks," I told her, still clenching the papers behind my back.

Her smile faded completely now. "You always love to work on cars with me. What's going on?"

"I don't know," I said sternly. "Why don't you tell me?"

Her pretty brow furrowed, and I walked forward and half-slammed the adoption papers I'd found last night on the trunk of the car, right in front of her.

Her brown eyes widened as she saw them, and she kept her eyes on them as she spoke. "Where did you get these?"

"Dad's office," I said harshly.

She shook her head. "How did you get in there?"

I thought for a moment. Should I tell her the truth? I opted for hard and somewhat sarcastic logic. I didn't frighten my mom, in case she wasn't aware of what I was. Handling emotions was certainly not my strength, but I knew that saying "I'm a witch" wasn't a good way to break the ice.

"The door," I finally told her.

My mom raised her eyebrows at me. "Clever. First, Sydney, I want you to know that this doesn't change anything-"

I gave a harsh laugh. "Doesn't change anything? How can you possibly say that? This changes _everything,_" I told her, my voice rising as I spoke. "How could you not tell me?" I demanded, my control breaking for the third time in three days. "After all of this time, how could you not tell me?"

My mother hung her head. "I didn't want this," she said softly.

"_Were _you ever going to tell me?"

She took a deep breath. "Come on. Let's go for a ride." She walked past me and opened the garage, making her way to my rental car. I shook my head and stormed back inside to get the keys. My little sister, Zoey, was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal with my father and Carly. I froze when I saw her. She'd stayed in her room since my arrival last night. I wasn't sure what my face looked like, but it caused all of them to stare at me. My father watched stonily, Zoe looked shocked, and Carly looked concerned.

"Sydney?" Carly stood up and approached me, as though she might hug me. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," I said, a little too harshly, and I tried to soften it with a smile. "Mom and I are just going to go get a few new parts for the car."

"How many more parts can she possibly need?" My father growled.

I met his brown eyes, and something funny happened. I'd always lived in fear of being anything like him. Whenever I looked in the mirror, he was who I saw. But now, knowing the truth, I noticed his brown eyes were a dark, muddy color, whereas mine were light amber. I noticed his hair was a much lighter shade of blonde than mine. When I looked at him now, I didn't see myself. I saw someone I would never let myself become, someone whose cruel words I could _maybe_ begin to overcome in time.

"However many she wants," I said calmly. Jared might've raised me, but he wasn't my father. He never really had been. Somewhere inside of me, I wondered if part of the reason he'd treated me so poorly had something to do with that.

I ducked out of the kitchen, leaving them staring back at me. I took a deep breath, needing to gain control of myself before I drove.

When I got to the car, I paused. My mother was already sitting in the driver's seat. I walked up to the window.

"I want to drive," I said once she'd rolled the window down.

"With all you're trying to deal with, if you drive we'll get in multiple accidents," she told me.

I climbed in the passenger's side reluctantly. We rode in silence for a few minutes, and I allowed myself to take a peek over at her. Sure, we favored in the sense that we both had brown eyes and tanned skin, but other than that there was no striking resemblance. Now that I knew I wasn't actually related to her, things like that seemed to jump out.

"So," she said when she'd begun driving down some back roads that showcased the more scenic area around Salt Lake City, "first things first. What do you want to know? Ask me anything, and I'll do my best to answer you honestly. I at least owe you that much."

I racked my brain, not really knowing where to begin. "Is it just me?" I finally asked. "Or are Carly and Zoe adopted too?"

"Just you," my mother told me quietly.

I shook my head. "How . . . how is that . . . ? Did you and . . . Dad . . . think you couldn't have any more kids or something and then adopt me?"

"No. You're not really adopted. Not officially, at least. Your father forged those papers when we took you in. Alchemists are good at that sort of thing."

"Did someone just leave me on the doorstep?" At least I didn't have a lightning shaped scar on my forehead or anything, I thought wryly.

My mom shook her head in good humor. We'd reached a small café on the outskirts of town and my mother pulled into a parking place.

She turned to look at me. "I take back what I said about you asking the questions first. How about we go inside and get some coffee and I'll tell you the entire story from the beginning. Then you can ask me all the questions you want."

"Okay. But . . . I wasn't just left on the doorstep was I?"

My mom laughed. "_No._ Come on. Let's go inside."

We stepped out of the car and lite snow fell on us on our way into the café. Salt Lake City was a cold, cold place in the winter, and I was glad the weather was treating us nicely enough for now.

My mother and I took a seat at a table in the back.

She took a sip of her coffee, and then a deep breath.

I leaned forward eagerly, my own cup of coffee shaking slightly in my hand. I wanted so badly to know the truth, yet I was afraid to hear it.

My mom stared at me for a moment, almost the same way Ms. Terwilliger had a few times. Like she was looking at me but seeing someone else.

"Everything is about to change," my mom told me. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, deciding it was now or never. "I am."

"My family . . . Sydney . . . we're special. We can all do more than just fix our own cars; my father taught us a lot more than that. He taught us how to use magic."

I frowned. I'd never known my grandfather. He had died before I was born. Weirdly, my mother's admission of the witchcraft brought a sense of relief. I loved my mother, whether she was my biological mother or not. Jamie Sage was a kind, wonderful person whom I trusted. She was good. She wasn't a monster.

"Witchcraft?" I asked.

My mother looked surprised but nodded. "It runs in our blood. I . . . I was never as into it. A lot of my aversion had to do with the fact that I preferred to be out partying with my friends than inside studying. I thought the magic was freakish, almost like I was too good for it. I wanted to be normal. My father thought I was wasting my talent but he never pushed me to do anything I didn't want to do."

"What about Aunt Jennifer? Was she into it?" I asked.

Aunt Jennifer was my only Aunt. I didn't see her often because my father shied away from my Mom's side of the family. Was that because of the magic?

My mom thought for a moment. "Jennifer was kind of neutral on the matter. She didn't accept it or ignore it. She learned how to do some useful spells, but that was as far as she went." She paused, searching for her next words. "As for my other sister, Sarah, she loved it. She was really gifted with it."

"I didn't know you had any sisters other than Aunt Jennifer," I told her.

My mom clasped her hands together on the table, like she was bracing herself. "I liked to pretend that I didn't. When Sarah and I were younger, we had been inseparable. We had been best friends. But when she began to delve into the magic and become as good at it as she did, I started to resent her. We grew apart. I drifted away from her because I wanted nothing to do with the magic. She drifted from me because she felt like it was her that I hated, when all I ever hated was her magic. I loved Sarah more than anything. I still do."

I shook my head. "But what does Sarah have to do with me?"

My mom sighed. "I'm getting there. I was about twenty when I met Jared. He seemed like . . . like a hero to me when I found out what he did for a living. I hated the magic so much I clung to that part of him that hated it too. He was polite and so smart, and quite charming when he was younger. I loved him, and we decided to get married. When I told Sarah . . . she got really upset. She said that the magic was a part of me and that I couldn't keep it from him. I told her that the magic was only a part of her, and that I no longer wanted anything to do with it . . . or her."

"Sarah was involved with a warlock named Michael she met through her magic. I'd only been around him a few times and he had seemed okay but I didn't like him because of his love of magic. That night Sarah and I fought, she left with him. I didn't see her for eight years."

"In those eight years, I'd gotten married, and I'd had Carly and Zoey both. Carly was about six. Zoe was almost two. It was just a regular night, when I finally saw Sarah again. I'd tucked Carly and Zoe in bed, and was getting ready to try to get some sleep myself when I heard ponding on the door. Jared was away on business so I went quickly down the stairs and found Sarah already standing in the hallway, the front door open behind her. It was raining outside, and she was soaked from head to toe. Her eyes were wild and desperate. Michael stood behind her, still outside under the cover of the porch. He wore the same expression. I asked them what they were doing here. I asked them what was going on."

"That was when a beautiful little girl stepped out from behind Michael's leg. The little girl was about four years old with wavy blonde hair like Michael's, but light brown eyes just like Sarah's. She looked worried and clung tighter to Michael; he picked her up and held her against him, trying to comfort her. Sarah told me the little girl was their daughter. Sarah said that she and Michael were in danger because of something to do with the magic. They said that the little girl needed to be protected; they said that she would be safest with me and Jared. They said to do whatever it took to keep her away from the magic. That meant making her an Alchemist, because that was the only way to keep her from what she was, the only way to make her _hate_ the magic."

"Seeing my own sister standing there, begging for my help, I couldn't refuse. I tried to take the little girl in my arms, but she fought at first. She didn't want to let go of her father. Eventually Michael tore her from him and handed her to me, and his blue eyes were shining with tears. I remember feeling awful for the way I'd treated him because he was such a kind person, just like my sister. Sarah and Michael said goodbye to their daughter and left. I never saw either of them again."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My eyes were shining with tears as I spoke. "And the little girl. What was her name?"

My mom held my gaze, her eyes wet too. "You already know, Sydney."

I ran my hands through my hair. "Oh my God," I breathed. "And . . . and you've never stopped Jared from stuffing the Alchemist beliefs down my throat because you've been trying to protect me. Because . . . because Sarah and Michael wanted you too, because Sarah and Michael are my parents and you're my aunt." I was blabbering.

She reached across the table and clasped her hands in mine. "I know it's a lot to take in. I know your head must be spinning, but I need you to promise me that you won't ever look into the magic, that you won't ever have anything to do with it. Your parents wouldn't have wanted you too."

I gave a harsh laugh, the tears in my eyes springing over onto my cheeks. "It's a little late for that."

"What?" Her softness was gone. "Sydney-"

"I have to use it. I have to use it to protect myself. I'm learning how."

"From whom?" My mother's – well, my Aunt Jamie's – face was shocked.

I debated whether or not to tell her, and then finally decided to be truthful. "Part of my Alchemist assignment is to go undercover as a high school student. One of my teacher's is a witch. She's told me all about the Full Moons and the Crescents and everything."

Her face scrunched up. "Your teacher is a witch? What the _hell?_ What are the odds of that?"

"Well, it depends on how many witches there are in the world. If you can give me an estimate, I can do the math," I told her deadpan, trying to ease the tension.

A flicker of a smile flashed across her face but then she grew serious once more. "Are you in danger right now?"

I hung my head. "Right now I'm in a café with you, so . . ."

"Sydney Sage," she snapped, "answer me."

She might not have been my biological mother, but her use of my first and last name could still get me to give it up.

"Maybe," I said glumly.

She sighed and got up from the table. "I knew this would probably happen eventually. I knew that somehow, sometime, the magic would find you. It finds all of us, one way or another. Come on. Let's go home. I'm going to add on to your Christmas present."

I got up, frowning in confusion. "Wait, what? I don't need anything else, really."

She said nothing more on the subject and when we arrived home, my mother took me back into the garage and began walking towards the supply closet in one of the back corners. The snow from outside was blowing in and I closed the garage door, hoping that would warm things up. I turned to see my mother opening the door to the supply area and walking inside, banging on the back wall of the closet.

I hurried over to her. "What are you doing?"

"Shhh," she hushed me. I wanted to point out that if her intent was to be sneaky, the banging she was doing on the wall wasn't going to help anything.

Suddenly, when she hit a certain spot, it sounded hollow.

"Ah, good," she said. "Go get me a pry bar."

I did as requested and grabbed a pry bar that was hanging on the wall of the other side of the garage. I handed it to her.

"This is going to be fun," she said, smiling a mischievous smile.

"Mom-"

My protests were drowned out by her pulling away some of the wooden panels on the wall of the supply closet. She only pulled back two planks when she reached her arm inside the hidden compartment. I grabbed the pry bar from her and set it down on one of the table. When I turned back around, my mother stood outside of the closet now, holding a very old looking book in her hands.

"What is that?" I asked, walking forward to take it from her.

"Most witches and warlocks would call it an _exponentiacommentarius."_

"A spell diary?" That was what her Latin words translated to in English. I ran my hands along the book's spine, tenderly. It looked to be pretty old, but not ancient. I turned it in my hands, brushing dust off of the front. In the center, there was a deep blue crescent pattern that greatly resembled Marcus' tattoo. In the bottom right corner, written in gold ink, was the name:

_Sarah Anderson._

"Anderson, as you know is my maiden name," my mom told me.

I was staring at the leather cover in wonder. "So this belonged to your sister, Sarah. It belonged to my mother."

She nodded. "Sarah said herself that one day you would figure out what you were. When you did, she said for me to give you this. It's her spell diary. Most witches and warlocks keep them. If they have a spell they really like, they'll write it down in there for an easy find. It's also where a lot of them write spells and potions that they make on their own. Sarah was such a talented witch, hers is probably filled a bunch of great stuff that she came up with. A lot of the spells in it can probably help protect you if you use them correctly."

I shook my head in awe. "I can't believe this." I opened up to a random page and read aloud. "Hallucination Hex?" I read further. "This one could make someone think I'm not actually there when I am or that I'm someone completely different." I flipped through a few more pages with similar uses. I looked up at my mom.

"Thank you," I said earnestly.

She nodded brusquely, but then her face grew softer. "I know that this has got to be really tough for you to take in. But I want you to know that you have always been my daughter. You have been since the night I took you in. Nothing is going to ever change that. I want you to take this with you when you go back on your mission. Use it to stay safe."

I pulled her into a hug, which seemed to surprise her. Usually she was the one to initiate contact. "I know," I told her gently. "You'll always be my mom too. And I will use it."

I pulled back and asked her a question that had been burning inside of me on the drive home. "Are Carly and Zoe witches too?"

My mom thought for a moment. "They could be, I guess. They would never be as powerful as you though, since both of your parents had the magic. But it's still in their blood. I don't ever want them to be a part of it though. Not after what happened to Sarah."

"She and Michael . . . are they . . . dead?" I asked quietly.

My mother held my gaze, her brown eyes, which resembled mine, were filled with sorrow. "I'm afraid so. If they weren't, I feel sure they would've made some sort of contact by now."

I nodded, my heart aching. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. "Did I have any siblings? Or was it just me?"

She shrugged, seeming at a loss. "I don't think so. I mean, I guess they could've split you and any of your siblings up to try and keep you from the magic, but I doubt it. There was no one with Michael and Sarah that night. I'm sorry . . . I don't know much. If I had stayed in touch with Sarah through the years, I probably would be able to tell you."

"What about Sarah?" I asked. "What was she . . . like?"

"A lot like you," my mom said. "Beautiful and, really_, really,_ smart. She was such a genius. It was annoying sometimes. I used to harass her about it. That wasn't what stood out about her though. She had one of the purest hearts I've ever had the privilege to know. She never used the magic for nefarious reasons. She only used it to help the people she loved and for protection. People as kind and as truly good as she was are hard to find."

"And Michael?" I asked.

My mom leaned against the trunk of the fusion. "Ah Michael . . . you've also got quite a few of his traits. Like that infuriatingly perfect blonde hair of yours. He had such great hair. It was the first thing I noticed about him. I told Sarah that he had to be using some sort of potion to get it that shiny. Aside from that, I see his drive in you."

I frowned. "His drive?"

"Michael didn't back down from _anything,"_ she explained. "He always fought for what he believed was right, no matter the consequences."

"They sound like good people," I said quietly.

My mother smiled. "They were _wonderful_ people, both of them."

I nodded and clutched Sarah's spell diary to my chest. "I'm going to go on to bed I guess." I really just wanted to be alone and have some time to absorb everything. Something told me that no matter how tired my body was, my mind wasn't going to stop racing for a while.

My mother seemed to pick up on this. "All right. Goodnight." She picked up one of the planks from the supply closet and walked to put it back into place. I turned to leave, and when I was almost out of the door, my mother called my name.

"Yes?" I asked, facing her again.

"Another thing of Michael's you have is his temper."

"I don't have a bad temper," I said defensively. I usually held my anger inside.

"Neither did Michael, until someone hurt someone he cared about. When that happened, he would go from kind to vengeful in a heartbeat," she said with a smile.

I thought of how I'd had Keith's eye stabbed out for raping my sister. "Oh," was all I said.

* * *

**I had this chapter all outlined for a while, but when I sat down to write it...well, s*** just got real. Lol. It is such an important chapter. Once again, I read every single one of your reviews and I love them. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story. (:**


	13. Chapter 13 Deja Vu

**Chapter Thirteen **

**Deja Vu**

I ended up not being able to return to Palm Springs until New Year's Eve. I made sure to let everyone know this time, so that no one would get worried. Or try to "juju" anyone.

On New Year's Eve morning, I was packing all of my things to go back home to the gang. Christmas had been . . . well, it had been awkward to say the least. My father and I spoke very little, which was mostly my doing. My mother and I had decided not to tell the rest of the family about my adoption because it was Christmas and we didn't want to create more of a rift than there already was. Carly had once had an idea that I had been adopted, because she'd been about six when I'd arrived. My mother had regretfully used a bit of magic to make Carly think I'd been here all along. My mother also told me that she wasn't going to tell my father I'd found out because he would be furious I knew the truth. My heritage became me and my mother's little secret.

When I headed back into my bedroom to put Jill's curling iron in my suitcase, I found Zoe sitting on my bed. I was shocked. She had been distant to me, just watching me with her big brown eyes most of the time I'd been here.

"Zoe," I breathed. "Hey."

She gave me a timid smile. "Hey."

I walked over to place Jill's curling iron in my suitcase. "What's up?" I asked her.

She turned to me. "I'm sorry," she told me quietly.

I spun to face her. "For . . . ?" I knew she must've been referring to our falling out before I had first left for my mission, but I decided to pretend it hadn't been weighing on me. I didn't want her to feel bad.

"For being so mean to you about the Alchemist stuff. You work the hardest. You deserve it the most." She hung her head, her hair falling to conceal her face.

I knelt down in front of her, forcing her to face me. "Hey, look at me Zoe." She obeyed. "I don't do this because I want to. I do it because I don't ever want you to have to do it." I put my hands on her shoulders, surprised at how easy comforting people was getting for me. "You have a bright future ahead of you. One where you can make your own decisions, your own choices. You can be whatever you want to be. And I promise you Zoe, you _don't _want to be an Alchemist. When you become one, you belong to them. You have no freedom." I bit my lip, deciding to reiterate someone else's words to her. "They treat you like a piece in a machine, one that's not allowed to think. And you're better than that."

Zoe had tears in her eyes. "Are you going to be one for the rest of your life?"

My gaze fell on the floor. I thought back to my birth parents. I was never supposed to be an Alchemist in the first place. "I don't know," I finally whispered truthfully. "But I'm not going to let you be. Jared Sage's approval is not worth giving up your freedom for." She pulled me into a hug, and I hugged her back as best as I could.

Later, about mid-day, after I'd returned my rental car, I headed to the airport. I texted Eddie to let him know what time I'd arrive in Palm Springs and asked him to bring Latte and come and pick me up. When I didn't get an answer, I called Adrian just before I went onto the plane.

"This is Adrian. Who has the pleasure of speaking with me?"

I nearly ran into a large woman with a Coach bag while I was rolling my eyes at him. "That's how you answer your phone? Really?"

"Ah, Sage. How was your Christmas?"

"Merry. But I'm about to get on my flight. Eddie's not answering his phone. Would you mind picking me up from the airport?"

"Of course not. I'll be there."

I smiled, and on the flight home, my thoughts spun out. I had tried my best to conceal the bags under my eyes this morning, but I couldn't hide them completely. The truth of my heritage was weighing on me more than I had let my mother know. I'd asked her if she'd had a picture of my parents and she'd had one, but only of Sarah. It was odd. The right edge of the picture was frayed, almost like it had been torn apart from a large picture. There was also an arm wrapped around Sarah's shoulder, but whoever's arm it was had been cut off when the picture had been torn. That meant I still had no picture of my father, Michael, but we take we get.

Looking at Sarah's picture, I saw our resemblance. Sarah and I favored in the face a little bit, but it was our eyes that were identical. Her eyes were an amber brown, lit up by the sunlight in the picture. She was smiling brightly, and her hair was a beautiful chestnut color.

I also couldn't help but rack my brain for memories of my parents. I had been about four at the time they'd given me to Jamie and Jared, and I kept hoping maybe if I thought hard enough I could pull out a few memories of them. I had come up empty so far, but knowing I had to be so close to them was maddening.

After I retrieved my bags I found Adrian waiting for me. I felt my face split into a grin upon seeing him and we stood awkwardly in front of each other. He took my bags, surprising me with his manners. I followed him to his familiar Ford Mustang.

When we were finally on the road, he spoke. "You're quiet," he said.

I snapped my head in his direction, pulling myself from my thoughts which had drifted back to my birth parents.

"Um, sorry what?"

Adrian kept his eyes on the road. "What's on your mind Sage?"

That was a broad question, I thought. "I um, found out something interesting while I was with my family."

"Oh yeah?"

"I um . . . I found out I'm adopted."

Adrian nearly ran a red-light and slammed on the brakes. "Oh. Shit. Are you okay?"

I took a breath. "Yeah . . . it was just kind of shocking."

Adrian was quiet for a moment. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat and uh…talk about it?"

I frowned. I felt really bad for what I was about to say, but I had other business I had to take care of this afternoon, before Adrian's New Year's Eve Party tonight. It was important business that actually had to do directly with Adrian himself.

"I can't," I said. "I really need to get back to Amberwood and take care of some things."

I noticed that Adrian's jaw had grown ridged, but other than that he didn't seem to have taken it the wrong way. "All right. As you wish Sage. We're not done talking about this though."

I couldn't help the small smile that formed on my face. "I know we're not," I said, as he pulled into the Amberwood parking lot.

Our eyes locked for a moment, and a rush of heat ran over me. "Thank you," I blurted out suddenly, surprising myself.

Adrian frowned. "It was just a ride, Sage. Nothing to get all gushy about."

I looked down, embarrassed. "Not just for the ride, for always being there for me, no matter how weird things have been between us. I know it can't always be easy. I just want you to know that it never goes unappreciated." I looked back up at him again, and his emerald eyes were practically glowing. He reached his arms across the seat like he might hug me, and then paused, seeming to reconsider. I took a deep breath and reached my own arms out, hugging him myself. I could smell his cologne, and feel his messy hair tickling my neck as he buried his head in my shoulder.

"See you tonight," he whispered into my ear.

I fought back a shiver, the way his voice sounded when he whispered sending goose bumps across my arms. "See you," I told him, pulling back. I hopped out of the Mustang before I ended up accepting his invitation to lunch.

As I was walking back into the dorms to set my stuff down, I witnessed a very odd sight. Eddie, Jill, Angeline and _Trey_ were walking back from the spot on the outskirts of campus where Eddie taught self-defense.

They caught sight of me and a chorus of "Sydney!" could be heard. I smiled, though it must've looked a little force. A few weeks ago, when Trey had asked me to see if Eddie and Angeline would help him learn better self-defense, I had run the idea by them. Eddie had been hesitant because of Trey's involvement with the Warriors. Things must have been patched up while I was gone.

Jill's light green eyes danced excitedly when they reached me. "I'm so glad you're back! Things just weren't the same without you at Christmas dinner. Angeline almost burnt the ham even though she said she wouldn't and then Eddie had to fix it. He's such a good cook, but then he's good at a whole bunch of things so it shouldn't have really surprised anyone." Eddie and Jill's eyes met, a look of warmth flooding between them. Jill blushed and looked down. I couldn't tell if Angeline had noticed that or not. She seemed to be preoccupied, bickering with Trey about something.

"The ham was just _really_ good," Jill finally finished awkwardly.

I hid a grin. "Well, I'm glad you approve of Eddie's cooking. I'll have to have some of the leftovers." A very small amount I added in my head, not wanting to overdo the calories.

"Oh," Jill's face fell. "Adrian ate them all."

I nearly laughed at how sad she looked about that. "It's okay. I guess that just means Eddie will have to cook again sometime." I gave him a pointed look.

"Only if she wants me too," he eyed Jill fondly, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something private.

"Well, I've got to go put my stuff down, so I'll see you guys in the parking lot at six to get ready to go to Adrian's?" They nodded.

Trey finished his conversation with Angeline long enough to say, "Melbourne! Walk with me." He pushed me along into the dorm area.

"I don't think you're supposed to come in-"

"Relax. Put your stuff down and then I want to talk to you for a minute."

I sighed and did as he requested. A few minutes later I met him out by the door. "Shouldn't you be home for the holidays?" I asked him wryly.

He gave me a pointed look. "I'm avoiding my Dad. I just wanted to say thanks for putting a good word in for me to Eddie and Angeline and Jill."

I smiled. "I kind of owed you one."

Trey's face turned troubled for a moment. "You'd never know Jill were a vampire if she weren't so pale. And Eddie and Angeline, you'd never know they were half-vampires. They're not . . ."

"What your people have led you to believe?" I asked.

Trey nodded, the conflict in his eyes speaking a thousand silent words. I gave him a rough pat on the shoulder and headed over to the middle of campus, where the classrooms were all located. I pulled out a cell phone.

"Hello?" The familiar voice answered on the second ring.

"Hey. I'm back and I need your help with something. Can you meet me in Ms. Terwilliger's classroom?"

"I'll be there in fifteen."

I headed over to Ms. Terwilliger's classroom, carrying Sarah Anderson's spell diary with me. Trey was so accustomed to seeing me carrying different books he hadn't asked me what it was when we had spoken.

I was sitting at a desk flipping through the spell diary when Marcus came through the door of Ms. Terwilliger's classroom.

He smiled when he saw me. "Hey," he said. He almost looked relieved.

"Hey yourself."

"What did you need my help with?" He set his bag and the keys to his Jaguar down on Ms. Terwilliger's desk.

"A spell. I need to locate someone, but I don't have anything to attach myself to the person. Getting something to attach myself to the person would require breaking and entering, and I'd prefer to avoid that."

Marcus gave me a dry look. "An Alchemist wants to avoid breaking and entering?"

I sighed. "Can you help me or not?"

He thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. There is a spell . . . but it requires _a lot_ of strength. I passed out the last time I tried it, and I woke up with a huge headache."

"Oh," I said sadly. "Well, it's okay." As much as I sometimes found myself wanting to club him in the head, I didn't want him to pass out or anything. Disconcertingly, I realized I didn't even want him to have a headache. Well, not _really_ bad one anyway.

"Hey, don't look so down. I might still be able to think of a work around. Who are you trying to locate, exactly?"

"One of my friend's mother's. He doesn't know where she is. But I don't have anything of hers to connect myself to her." I had left out the fact that Adrian's mom was in prison, hoping that maybe Marcus wouldn't have to know that in order to help me out.

Marcus nodded, deep in thought. He pulled a book out of his bag that looked suspiciously like a spell diary.

"Is that an _exponentiacommentarius?_" I asked, unable to stop myself.

He nearly dropped it. "Yes. Where did you learn that term? Did Jackie teach it to you?"

"My mom taught it to me while I was on break."

"Your mom?" For some reason Marcus looked floored.

"Yeah . . . well," I reconsidered, "My aunt actually. Turns out I'm adopted." I frowned. "My family's a mess."

Marcus gave a laugh. "Join the club."

"Don't you mean coven?"

He shook his head at me. "Wow. You are _so_ clever," he teased, opening the spell diary. "This belonged to my father," he said, flipping through the pages gingerly. His face softened as he spoke of his father. I remembered he had never had the chance to know his real parents, and a pang of sympathy hit me.

"Do you see anything?" I asked, walking to lean around his shoulder. It was a little difficult because he was almost as tall as Adrian.

"Yes, actually. I just . . . I'm not sure you would be comfortable with it."

"Try me."

He sighed and closed the spell diary. I moved so that I was facing him. He looked down at me from his greater height. "My father wrote that it _is_ possible to locate someone without an object connecting yourself to the person. But that's only if you channel your magic with another witch or warlock. It's the only way to make yourself powerful enough."

"So…I could channel my magic with yours?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. Do you want to try it?"

"Might as well," I said, brushing some of my hair out of my face.

"All right. Give me your hands." He reached out and took my hands in his. I looked up at him for a moment and something about his eyes struck me. Not in a romantic way. They struck me the way they had when I'd first seen Clarence's picture of him. They were haunting for some reason . . . almost familiar. It was like I was experiencing deja vu. Maybe it was just because they mirrored the conflict and sadness I sometimes saw in my own.

"Why don't you let me do the actual locating?" He asked me, yanking me from my weird thoughts. "I've been doing this sort of thing longer, that's the only reason. I'll still be taking a lot of your energy to do it."

I nodded. "Okay."

Marcus gripped my hands tighter. "Now, who am I looking for? I need her name." He closed his eyes, concentrating, and I did the same.

"Daniella Ivashkov."

"Describe her."

"I've never met her."

Marcus stiffened slightly but remained calm. "Her son is, Adrian, right? I've met him a few times, but I need you to describe him to me in more detail. That'll help me connect to Daniella. The more detailed your description, the more detailed the location I get."

"Well, you know what he looks like. He must have his mother's eyes because he doesn't have his father's."

"I need more about him as a person. I need to know more than his looks."

I took a deep breath. "He's . . . he's a very complex person. There's a lot more to him than his sense of humor and his sometimes flippant attitude. He likes to pretend he doesn't care about anything, when in truth, he cares about _everything. _He's one of the most loyal people I've ever known. He doesn't judge; he doesn't deceive. He's one of those people that will tell you the truth about anything, even if it's wrong to say it."

"Keep going," Marcus ordered.

"He's fierce when he wants to be. He's protective. He'll risk his life to save the people he loves. He's actually really thoughtful, though most people would never guess it. He's underestimated a lot, because a lot of people never expect anything out of him. If you help him believe he can do something though, there isn't anything he can't do. He has a bad temper, but only certain things really upset him. He feels things stronger than most people. When he hurts he really hurts . . . and when he loves . . . well, he really loves. And the most significant thing about him? He can't hide the good heart he has, no matter how hard he tries."

I felt like a rush of electricity was flowing from me to Marcus. My hair blew around my face as though a lite breeze were coming through a window. The feeling was exhilarating. I felt free again, like I was flying. _"Embrace the magic,"_ he had told me once and I did; I let it embrace me.

"Maine. The Moroi prison she's located at is in south Maine. The cell she's in is a nicer one. She's isolated from the hostile inmates. The name of the Prison is . . . Kozlov," Marcus said suddenly.

Then, I felt as though I were being drained. The high feeling was going away, as was the current of power flooding between me and Marcus. And then, it was gone. My eyes flew open, and I caught myself on the desk behind me.

Marcus did the same, though I noticed he looked considerably more drained than me. I grabbed a chair clumsily and set it beside him. He sank into gratefully, rubbing his temples.

"Headache?" I asked quietly.

"It's not bad," he said gruffly. I grabbed a two bottles of water from the small refrigerator Ms. Terwilliger kept behind her desk. I handed him one and he began to drink it appreciatively.

I wrote down the information he'd told me on a sticky note and resolved to convert it over to something nicer before I gave it to Adrian. Once I was through with that and half my bottle of water, Marcus stood up looking better.

"Thank you," I told him sincerely. I felt odd having said all of that stuff about Adrian in front him, but he didn't seem like he was going to push me on it.

"You're welcome," he said politely. "That was kind of neat actually. That's the first time I've ever channeled my powers with someone."

I smiled. "It was." I looked up at the clock at the wall. It was nearly five thirty and almost time for me to meet Jill, Eddie and Angeline in the parking lot and I still had to run back to my dorm and get their presents. I guessed a sticky note would have to do for Adrian's.

"I have to go ahead and go," I told Marcus. "Thanks again."

He waved a hand down. "Stop thanking me. I don't mind."

I gave him another smile and he called my name just as I was almost out the door. "Yes?" I turned.

"I'm going to spend New Year's Eve with Clarence tonight; I don't want him to have to be alone. It's not much of a party, but it might be a _little_ more bearable if you're there . . ."

It took me a minute to realize he was inviting me. "I already have other plans," I said. I was touched that he would ask me in the first place. His face fell, and I thought back to his file on how he had loved Tamara. I suddenly wondered if part of the reason he looked out after Clarence had something to do with that.

"But thank you," I added, as though that would help.

He nodded, giving me a small smile. He turned his back to put the spell diary in his bag.

_"He was alone. He doesn't want you to be."_ For some reason Ms. Terwilliger's words rang through my head again. I realized that for whatever reason, I didn't want Marcus to be alone either. It wasn't like he deserved it, though the Alchemists would've felt differently.

"Hey," I found myself saying, "Adrian's having a little get together at his place tonight. You could stop by for a little while."

Marcus laughed. "I don't think that would be a very good idea." He paused. "But thanks," he said, echoing my words.

I gave him one last smile and closed the door softly behind me. My mind drifted back to when I had met his eyes in the classroom, and the weird deja vu that had washed over me.

Had I seen Marcus once when he was training with Jared? I didn't think so. But then again, there was no other logical explanation.

* * *

** I love you guys and your reviews. And I hope you loved this chapter. (:**


	14. Chapter 14 New Year's Eve

**Chapter Fourteen**

**New Year's Eve**

Adrian greeted us at his door holding the cheap, overly-shiny party-hats you could buy at your local supermarket for New Year's celebrations. To my dismay, he had also gotten his hands on matching party-horns. He blew one so loudly, I was pretty sure the entire apartment complex could have heard it. He handed each of us the party hats but paused when he gave me mine.

"Sorry Sage, but black was the dullest color I could find. I know it's still a little 'loud' for you." He placed the shiny black hat on my head, smiling that smirky smile of his. He blew the horn again and led all of us through the door.

He hadn't done too much with the place for the party, though I did see an expensive looking bottle of champagne sitting on ice in the kitchen. We all lounged around the sofas and talked and hung out. Everyone wanted to know the details of my holidays. I left out the adoption part, and anytime anyone's questions got family-related, Adrian would steer the subject away for me. When it was about eleven-o'clock, we decided to give out our late Christmas presents.

It turned out Jill, Eddie, and Angeline had all pitched in and gotten me a nice car repair kit. I already had one, but a second kit would make a good back-up in case of theft or other emergency. I felt kind of bad that they had gotten me something personal, as I had gotten all of them gift-cards. I was worried about buying them separate things because I wasn't good at picking that kind of stuff out. They each seemed happy with their gift-cards, saying that they could get exactly what they wanted. I smiled, and let myself bask in the fact that these people – well, vampires and dhampir's – had made their way into my life.

Adrian put the TV on the New Year's Eve entertainment show, and turned to me.

"Hey, come with me. I want to show you something," he said. Jill looked at him smiling, a secret message passing through their bond. She got up and began to try to steer Eddie and Angeline's attention on her. Adrian nudged me along to the back of his apartment. I'd never been back this far, and as he reached the door at the end of the hall, I realized he was leading me to his bedroom. My stomach began to flip, and I tried to calm myself down. I'd never been in a guy's bedroom before. Books on what to do once you were in a guy's bedroom probably couldn't have helped me even if I'd had time to research in advance.

Adrian sensed my uneasiness. "Don't worry Sage. I cleaned it this morning."

I tried to calm my nerves and followed him through the door. Adrian's definition of "clean" was certainly different from mine. The floor wasn't covered in stuff, but there were a few questionable piles in each corner of the room. I didn't dare look under the bed or open the closet. The walls weren't the putrid yellow of the living room; they were a beautiful cerulean blue.

Adrian turned on a small lamp on his nightstand and noticed me eyeing the color of the walls. "I mixed the color myself," he said, almost proudly. "It's not as calming as the goldenrod but it'll do."

"Goldenrod will always have a special place in your heart, huh?"

"Of course." He walked over to a window at the back wall of the room, and pulled the curtains back, letting the moonlight stream through the window. The moonlight reflected off of the blue walls, almost giving them the air that they were glowing. Something told me Adrian had painted his room this shade for that very reason.

"Wow," I said. "This must have taken a lot of thought."

"Surprised?"

I shook my head. "No. You can focus on something for longer than thirty seconds if you care enough about it."

He smiled, though it didn't touch his eyes. If I weren't just imagining things-which was more probable than ever because I was under so much stress-I would've said he looked nervous. He gestured for me to follow him over to what appeared to be an easel covered by an old bed sheet.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't decide what to get you for Christmas . . ."

"You didn't have to get me anything," I told him.

Adrian gave me a look that said I was being ridiculous. "Of course I did. I know things have been weird, like you said. But I still had to get you something. I thought about jewelry, maybe a fruit basket since you don't eat sweets. But, I mean who wants a fruit basket? Would you have actually wanted a fruit basket?"

I shook my head, hiding a smile. "Not particularly . . . you're getting off topic."

"Oh, right, right. So then I thought," he gestured with his hands, "I could give you a painting. That way there wouldn't be anything else like your present; it wouldn't be something you could return to a store. It would be something really special." He turned and pulled the sheet off of the easel.

I felt my eyes widen as I took the painting in. In the top right-hand corner there was a sun. Down towards the bottom of the painting, there was a shadowy area, but the sunlight touched there too, illuminating it. Thin, wispy clouds were painted throughout the beautiful sky, so lightly brushed they were only visible when you looked especially closely. Shimmers of gold were threaded throughout the entire masterpiece, only noticeable when the light hit the canvas a certain way.

I studied his art for a few moments, trying to absorb what it was supposed to represent. Oddly, when I looked at it, I thought of Adrian, and not just because he was the artist. The way the sunlight broke through the shadowy area reminded of the way Adrian's free spirit always seemed to bring me back whenever I was in a dark place. I fiddled with the golden cross hanging around my neck, incapable of speech.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered.

I shook my head, still trying to get a grip on my emotions before I spoke. My head was spinning ridiculously, and my heart was pounding in my chest. The thing about the painting that struck me the most was the sheer and raw emotion that had gone into it. I didn't understand how some picture in 2-D could showcase so much meaning, so much feeling. Then again, I didn't understand how one person, let alone one vampire, could express themselves the way Adrian did.

"It's beautiful," I finally said. "Thank you."

He was standing close to me, our arms brushing. I knew he was watching me and I pulled his own present from my pocket hastily, needing to shift his attention from me.

I placed the sticky note gingerly in his hand. "I didn't have time to wrap it. I did it this afternoon."

"Well, at least I know you didn't break the bank for me," he remarked, eyeing the crumpled sticky note.

I sighed. "Just read it."

"Kozlov Prison, Maine," he read aloud. He frowned for a moment and then he suddenly seemed to grasp what it was he was holding. He gave me a questionable look.

"Your mom's there. I'm sure they except letters. She can't be in high security. Now all you have to do is look up the actual address. It shouldn't be too hard to find. If you want-"

Adrian moved so quickly, my words were caught in my throat. He placed one of his hands on either side of my face, gazing down into my eyes. He seemed at a loss of words, and just stared at me in wonder. I stiffened, and he pulled his hands back regretfully. He then put a few feet of distance between us.

"How? How did you find out where she was?" He finally asked, his voice full of emotion.

I took a breath, trying to steady myself. "A spell."

He shook his head. "But you hate magic."

I looked down, feeling guilty he didn't know everything that was going on. "It's not as bad as I originally thought. It has its uses."

Those green eyes studied me. "As much as I appreciate you doing this, I find it hard to believe you'd consider doing magic just for me."

"You might be surprised what I sometimes consider doing for you," I told him softly. And it was the truth. Adrian meant way more than one person should have. I was starting to realize just how important he was too me, and if I was being completely honest, it frightened me. I was so used to being fine by myself. I'd never desired a relationship; I'd never really wanted anything outside of a promotion or my "father's" approval. But now . . . now that I knew what I was missing . . . all of that was changing. _I_ was changing.

Adrian just stared at me, as though he were taking in each of my features. Something told me he didn't completely believe me. He could still tell there was something I was keeping from him.

Suddenly, movement outside of the large window at the back of his room caught my eye. I turned my body completely, not letting my gaze leave the window.

Adrian noticed my abrupt change in mood. My skin started to tingle, and some instinct inside of me told me that the tingling meant there was another magic user somewhere near-by. I dashed back into the living room to get my purse which had Sarah's spell-book and some of my magic ingredients in it. Eddie and Angeline sprung up from their chairs, taking in my nervous air. Adrian now stood behind me.

_Not here, _was all I could think. _Not around all of my friends. Not around Adrian._

"Sage, what's going on?" Adrian asked.

Eddie stared me down as well. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He moved protectively in front of Jill and Angeline did the same.

_Jill._

"Get out of here," I ordered all of them. I spoke mainly to Eddie and Angeline, because they were the guardians. "Move quickly." I handed Eddie the keys to Latte. "I'll find another way back to Amberwood."

Eddie looked shocked. "Sydney-"

That was when the glass in the front window shattered. "Get down!" Eddie and Angeline shouted.

While we were on the floor, shielding ourselves from the glass, I heard Adrian tell Eddie and Angeline, "Jill. Get Jill out of here. Don't worry about me. There's a backdoor in my bedroom. It goes outside. I'll help Sydney. _Go._"

Eddie and Angeline stood up pulling Jill with them. They worked as a unit to make it out of the living room. I grabbed Adrian's arm. "Get out of here!" I ordered him.

"No way in hell, Sage." He responded fiercely, his green eyes flashing. Another window shattered and we clung to each other, both of us trying desperately to shield the other.

"The book, hand me the book," I told him over the shattering glass. Sarah's spell diary was lying by his leg, having fallen out of my purse during the chaos.

Adrian slid the book into my hand and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He held his phone's light up over the book so that I could read clearer. I fumbled through Sarah's spell book, looking for a spell I had run across while I'd scanned through it back in Salt Lake City.

When I found the spell I was looking for, I began to recite the incantation frantically, feeling my Adrenaline pulsing. I could see a dark figure climbing through one of the shattered windows, and I pushed my magic out faster. Adrian began to scoot protectively in front of me, and I shoved him away with my hands and threw them out, willing the spell I was casting to work. I continued to recite the incantation, my heart hammering as the dark figure got closer and closer to me, closer to Adrian.

Just in time, a blinding flash of white light burst from my hands, and I screamed, shocked that so much power had come from me alone. The white light moved in front of me and Adrian, engulfing us in a sort of light-based mist. After a few moments, the mist began to grow more solid, and I realized I had done it; I'd made a force shield.

The dark figure couldn't penetrate the shield, and by the looks of him, he was swearing. Inside of the shield, Adrian and I couldn't hear anything that was going on outside of it. It was eerily silent. We were in the eye of a hurricane.

I was using all of my energy to keep the shield up when I started to realize we were going to need back-up. I had some of the bracelets Marcus and I had made and some "potpourri." Other than that I didn't have many ingredients. I hadn't used any for the force shield, and that fact was certainly killing my energy. I could feel my magic slipping, and I tried my best to keep it steady.

"Sage," Adrian said abruptly. "Sage, I've got an idea."

I couldn't look at him while I focused on the force shield. "What?"

"Stall for me. Give me just a second." Adrian bolted back to his bedroom, and I expanded the shield to cover him. My head was starting to throb and the world was beginning to look foggy. The Full Moon attacking me grinned, like he could tell I was growing weak. All the while he'd been reserving his strength.

Adrian returned then, and God help us, he had a handgun. I didn't know where on earth he of all people had acquired one, but nonetheless he had.

"Let go of the spell on three," he commanded. "One. Two. Three!"

I let the magic go just as Adrian pulled the trigger. He didn't hit the Full Moon square in the head or chest, but he did appear to have hit him in the knee, possibly shattering the man's knee cap. I scooted to lean back against the couch, nearly crying out because of the pain in my head.

Adrian jumped up from the floor and walked over to where the Full Moon had fallen. Our attacked was hardly the force he had been before Adrian's gunshot, but he was still conscious. Adrian used the gun to club the Full Moon in the head, and the attacker slumped back against the hard-wood floor.

Adrian stared at what he'd done for a moment and then rushed over to me. He placed a hand on my forehead. "Damn Sage. You're hot as hell." He left my side and returned with a large cup of water, some aspirin, and to my shock, pomegranate gelato. Before I could protest he told me to eat and picked his cell phone up from the floor.

I could tell he was speaking with Eddie, letting everyone know we were okay and that he'd keep them posted. I took a few bites of the gelato, letting it run down my throat at a feeble attempt of cooling myself down. Looking across the room, I caught sight of the unconscious Full Moon. Inspiration hit me.

"Adrian?" I called.

He had just gotten off the phone, and turned to face me. "Eat the gelato Sage."

"I will, I will. Could you get my phone out of my purse and hand it to me?"

He did so and I dialed Ms. Terwilliger's number. She answered on the first ring, sounding alarmed, probably because it was a few minutes after midnight. "Ms. Melbourne, is everything okay?"

"Not exactly. I have one of Simone's henchmen unconscious on the floor at my . . . _brother's _apartment. I was thinking that we could question him when he woke up."

Adrian jerked his head in my direction, a thousand questions in his eyes. On his face I saw a mixture of emotions. Concern, anger, and pain. He was hurt I hadn't told him what was going on.

"That's a good idea," Ms. Terwilliger said. "Although I think it's best you let me and some of the rest of the coven do the questioning. Wolfe is great at getting things out of people. You could say he rather enjoys it."

That didn't surprise me. "Okay." I gave her the address and hung up. I didn't know how much of the Witch Club would show up, but I didn't really care. They were allies, witches and warlocks or not. That was all that mattered.

Adrian took a seat on the floor next to me.

"Where did you get a gun?" I asked him.

He ignored my question. "Who's Simone?"

I averted my eyes. "Adrian-"

His voice grew harsh. "Answer me, Sydney."

I was nearly powerless when he used my first name. "You know how Ms. Terwilliger talked to you about humans using magic?"

Adrian nodded stonily. "Yes."

"Well, not all humans use the magic for good. Simone is Ms. Terwilliger's sister, and she's an example of someone that doesn't use the magic for the right reasons. She targets powerful young witches and warlocks, killing them so that she can have their power."

Adrian was frozen. It took him a moment to speak. When he did, his words were not a question. "And she's after you."

I nodded. "So it would seem."

He shook his head, his jaw clenching. The low-lighting in the room lit up his profile in a way that highlighted the handsome planes of his face. "I'll kill her," he said, far too casually.

"No," I said automatically. "You'll stay out of it. This is my fight."

"When are you going to get it through your head, Sage? You don't have to do everything alone."

"I don't want you to get hurt," I told him quietly. Especially not because of me, I added in my own head.

"Is that why you didn't tell me? Worried this crazy guy will get into trouble?"

I couldn't think of anything to say so I took another bite of the gelato and then set it back down. Adrian placed a hand over mine, and instead of pulling back, I welcomed the comfort. "You're going to get through this," he told me.

I knew I should have been pushing him away, but I couldn't. I didn't want too. There was the very real possibility that the coven could fail in trying to take down Simone. If that happened, things weren't looking very good for me, for any of us.

I thought back to the time when Adrian and I had been held hostage by Lee in this very room. Lee had told me that I was living my life aloof from people, that I'd never really lived at all. Was I in any different of a position now? I was breaking rules, but only because I had too. And every night before I went to bed, I'd beat myself up for the ones I'd broken that day. I hardly did what I wanted. I rarely told people how I felt. If Simone did succeed in killing me, what would I have to leave behind? Was the legacy I was creating my own, or was it someone else's?

For now, I resolved to push my Alchemist dogmas aside and focus on what was really important. All of these life and death experiences were making me appreciate everything and everyone more. I shook my head and decided I'd do something a little out of my comfort zone.

I tilted my head up and kissed Adrian lightly on the cheek. He looked a bit surprised but didn't seem to mind. He gave me a questioning look, which I didn't have an answer for, so I did the only thing I knew how too. I squeezed his hand tighter.

After a few minutes, I felt Adrian begin to pull his hand back.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling the warmth leaving my skin as he moved away.

He frowned. "Footsteps. A car door closing." Being a vampire, Adrian could hear things much more quickly than humans. There was a knock on the door shortly there-after. Adrian got up to answer it and I managed to find enough energy to move myself from the floor to the couch.

"Oh, it's _you,_" I heard Adrian say.

I turned my head to see Marcus making his way through the doorway. He took one look at me and his face turned stormy. "Jackie called me and told me what happened. What kind of magic did you use?" He asked me harshly. "Whatever it was, I didn't teach it to you."

"It worked. That's what matters," I said.

Adrian walked in behind Marcus, crossing his arms. "I know what's going on now, with Simone," he told the warlock. "Sage filled me in. How are we going to take that crazy bitch down?"

Marcus sighed. "When we figure something out, we'll let you know." He eyed the shattered windows, and then saw the bullet wound in the unconscious attacker's leg. His eyes finally rested on Adrian's handgun.

"Where did you get that?" He asked Adrian.

"Yeah," I joined in. "Where _did_ you get it?"

Adrian shrugged. "Nicked it from the Warrior's compound last month."

"Unbelievable," I muttered. "Why didn't you pull it out on anyone when they were trying to capture us?"

Adrian gave me a dry look. "Well, Sage, if memory serves I couldn't feel my legs. That was kind of distracting."

"Oh," I said. "Right."

Marcus shocked me by pulling a handgun of his own out of his pocket. "They're nice to have," he said, twirling the weapon around agilely. "Guns scare everyone."

"Why do you have one?" Adrian asked him.

Marcus tapped his left cheek. "When you betray an organization full of psychotic control-freaks, you'd be surprised what you'll carry with you." I felt myself stiffen. I'd known Marcus had used magic to protect himself . . . but a gun? That seemed a bit extreme . . . right?

"The Alchemists?" Adrian asked. For the first time he looked interested in something Marcus had to say.

"Please," I said grumpily, "don't get him started on the subject." I had enough on my mind without Marcus deciding to give me a lecture.

Marcus shot me a look. "Oh but why not? I thought you _loved_ to talk about them. I thought they were a righteous organization?"

Adrian turned to me now, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Yeah, Sage. Don't you 'believe in what they do?'"

Wolfe came busting through the front door then, cutting off my retort. Adrian, Marcus and I jumped.

"Where is the bastard?" Wolfe demanded.

Adrian's mouth dropped open. "Wolfe?"

Wolfe turned to Adrian. "Hello," he told him gruffly. Then Wolfe looked down on the floor. "There he is," Wolfe said as he looked at the unconscious Full Moon. "Come to Papa." He reached down and began to pick the attacker up.

Marcus flinched. "Wolfe, be careful. I think his right knee cap's shattered. And I don't see an exit wound on-"

"Stop preaching boy and get the door for me," Wolfe ordered.

Marcus did as he was told, looking a bit annoyed at having been cut off. Wolfe struggled out of the door with the unconscious attacker in his arms.

Adrian still looked comically horrified. "What. The. Hell? I know that Long John Silver doesn't do volunteer work at the local hospital. _He's_ the one that's going to question the unconscious guy?"

I nodded while Marcus chuckled at Adrian's nickname for Wolfe with genuine humor.

Adrian frowned and then seemed to consider something. "He looks different than when I last saw him."

"He got a new eye-patch," Marcus and I said at the same time.

* * *

**I think I've mentioned this, but I just love Wolfe, lol. He's a great side-character to bring in every now and then. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. As always, I love reading your reviews. (:**


	15. Chapter 15 No More Running

**Chapter Fifteen **

**No More Running**

"I'm not sure how I feel about all of you witchy folk creeping around my apartment this way," Adrian said, leaning against one of the walls in his living room.

"Well, it's us or some more like Wolfe's captive," Ms. Terwilliger told him flatly. She was here now, along with Marcus who had gone outside to establish a "magical perimeter." He'd said that no Full Moons would be able to enter Adrian's apartment when this was accomplished. I was glad he'd known what to do, as the thought of Adrian being stalked terrified me. It was bad enough that one of them had known where he lived. I realized that it was probably because they'd been following me.

"So, what does Simone want from you?" Adrian asked, after Ms. Terwilliger went to retrieve something from the kitchen. "Is it just a power thing? It seems like there's has to be more to it than that."

"There's nothing more," I said, and then, under my breath, I added, "Not that they're telling me."

Adrian's eyes met mine. I wasn't sure whether he'd heard my last comment, but he knew not to press me about the topic, if he had.

Marcus came through the front door. He brushed some of his blonde hair out of his face, looking tired, and plopped down on Adrian's love seat, facing us.

"Your vampire will be safe now, Sydney," Marcus said flatly.

"_My _vampire?" I asked.

"Who else's?" Marcus asked.

Adrian tensed beside me. "I don't recall saying you could make yourself comfortable," He said, eyeing Marcus where he was sprawled out on the love seat.

Marcus leaned back, closing his eyes. "I just put multiple magical defense perimeters around your entire apartment building to keep you out of harm's way. I think I'm entitled to sit on your couch."

Adrian glowered. "You son of a-"

"Stop it," I told the two of them.

Adrian's green eyes flashed irritably, but Marcus didn't seem to notice. He seemed to be in deep thought about something, merely taking his dark mood out on Adrian. I wondered if it was Simone's worsening attacks or something else entirely weighing on his mind, causing him to lash out. From what I'd seen of him thus far, this wasn't his normal manner. I sensed that he was usually fairly even-tempered.

Ms. Terwilliger came back in from the kitchen, a cup of orange juice in one hand, crackers and cheese in the other. She took a seat by Marcus and handed he snacks to him. He sat up, and took them gratefully. I noticed there were dark circles under his eyes, and he was paler than usual. Whatever defensive spells he'd used had taken a lot out of him. Maybe that was why he was acting so cross.

"And now he's eating my food," Adrian grumbled beside me. His voice was so quiet; I doubted that Marcus had heard him.

Ms. Terwilliger patted Marcus on the shoulder. "You need to watch yourself," she told him. "You shouldn't use so much power."

"I can handle it. I'm more powerful than the rest of you," Marcus countered.

"All the more reason you shouldn't be using so much magic. We need you to be in top shape when the time comes," Ms. Terwilliger told him sternly.

Like me, Adrian had been watching intently, but he now seemed ready to join in. "When the time comes for what?" He asked.

Ms. Terwilliger turned to face us. "To do something about my sister." Her expression darkened. "She's getting bolder. Sending someone to follow Sydney here tonight is an odd move for her."

"A _desperate_ move," Marcus said, setting the empty plate down on Adrian's coffee table. "She's not used to people evading her once, let alone three times. She's going to start getting craftier. I'm going to have to go over to Amberwood and put some perimeters up around all of your friend's dorms." The last statement was directed at me.

"What?" I asked, alarmed. "My friends aren't in danger if I'm not there . . ."

Marcus' blue eyes dimmed, almost appearing black in the low light. When he spoke, he sounded much older than his twenty-three years. "She hasn't been invincible all these years because she's imprudent. She knows the power of love. She knows what people like us will do for the ones we love. She knows a fighter like you won't be taken easily. She also knows that you would walk right into death's clutches to protect someone you care about."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and my heart raced in fear. "No," I said firmly. "She can't touch the people I love. I won't let her."

Adrian had become very still beside me, but he now turned to Marcus and Ms. Terwilliger. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No. Absolutely not," I said emphatically.

Marcus watched the exchange and shook his head at Adrian. "I'm afraid not. Compulsion doesn't work on witches and warlocks, and you're already going to be in danger because of your . . . relationship with Sydney. And before Sydney starts preaching Alchemist dogmas, by 'relationship' I mean the dictionary definition, which is your connection, association, and/or involvement with one another. Strictly platonic in this case, of course. The Alchemists would allow nothing else."

Ms. Terwilliger chuckled, and Adrian looked a bit bemused.

I glared at Marcus. "I should be getting back to Amberwood." Escape seemed to be the best option.

Adrian still appeared shocked by what Marcus had said, but he took my arm, to lead me toward the door. "I'll give you a ride."

He turned to Ms. Terwilliger and Marcus. "I expect my apartment to be witch-free when I get back."

Marcus sighed. "I would assume you mean warlock-free as well, and yes, we'll be gone."

With that, Adrian and I turned and started toward the door. I met Marcus' gaze one last time, his blue eyes clouded with something that looked like pain. Was it guilt? Whatever I had seen, it was gone in an instant. His usual neutral expression returned, and his eyes were void of any emotion.

On the road, I noticed that Adrian was quieter than usual. "Thanks for the ride," I said, uneasily.

"You're welcome, Sage," he said, and I detected harshness in his tone. "Anything for you, Sage."

I sighed. "You're upset."

He laughed derisively. "That's an understatement." His eyes never left the road.

"Adrian-"

"How could you not tell me this?" He demanded, taking a right turn that was sharper than necessary. "How could you not tell any of us? Someone wants you dead, and you act like nothing's going on. You leave every single one of us in the dark!"

"I-"

"And it's not enough to just not ask for help. You go to others. Like Marcus! You've known me for so much longer than you've known him, and you _still_went to him first. How can he just automatically be trusted?"

"I didn't go to him, he came to me. And he's . . . he's like me. He's-"

"Human," Adrian said quietly. "You automatically trust him because he's human. Even though he's betrayed the Alchemists, you _still _trust him more than me because at least he's human."

What could I say to make him understand? How could I convince him that I wasn't hanging around Marcus because I cared for him more than Adrian? I didn't even trust Marcus, not completely. I didn't know enough about him. He was too secretive; too closed-off for me to truly trust him.

"I never said that I trusted him," I finally said.

"You never said you didn't either," Adrian countered.

I wanted to throw my hands up in exasperation, but I held back. "He's helping me. He's been teaching me how to protect myself. And he left the Alchemists. He understands some of the things I'm going through, things you can't understand, though I know that you try. Marcus was as deeply trapped by the system as I am now. I don't have to explain things to him, because he already knows." I couldn't understand why he was so upset about this again. He'd seemed all right back at his apartment.

Adrian was quiet for a long moment, as he pulled into the Amberwood parking lot. The moonlight shone in his emerald eyes, brimming with emotion. "Well, excuse me, Sage. I forgot that there's no one out there who understands you like he does."

My heart was in my throat. That wasn't what I had intended to say. "That's not -"

Adrian turned his head, smiling a sickened smile. "No, I get it."

I looked down at my hands, then back up at him. He was staring straight ahead. I knew that I had hurt him, and I couldn't stand it. "Adrian, look at me," I said after a few awkward moments. He continued staring ahead, as though he hadn't heard me. "Adrian," I repeated. "Please."

He slowly turned back to me, and his gaze held mine.

"Hanging around him is _easier,_" I said quietly. "Not because he understands me better, or because I enjoy his company more. It's easier because there's none of _this,_" I gestured between the two of us, willing him to understand what I meant.

"This?" Adrian asked me, though I could tell by the way his eyes were burning that he knew exactly what I referring to.

I'd never spoken out loud to him about whatever "this" was. I'd refused to talk about it after he had kissed me that day. I'd dodged it in the dressing room, and I wanted more than anything to run away from it now. But I couldn't run forever. Now that I knew what I wanted, there was no more running. I couldn't run _to_ it because it was forbidden; I couldn't run _from_ it because it was too powerful. I was stuck in this dark, confused place, unable to move in one direction or the other.

"Yes, _this,_" I finally murmured. "It isn't logical."

Adrian gave a soft laugh, and I heard a resigned sadness in that laugh. "It never is."

I felt myself being drawn into his green eyes, and that familiar disconcertingly warm feeling began to flood though me. I was reminded of the painting he'd given me for me for Christmas, and how he'd gently touched the sides of my face when he'd received his own present.

His eyes continued to hold mine, and a small smile began to form on his lips. Those lips . . .

"Did you know, uh," I leaned back, "that the average person will spend two weeks of their life waiting for traffic lights to change?"

Adrian's smile widened, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. "No, I did not know that."

"Well now you do," I said. "I should probably go in and get some rest." I unbuckled my seatbelt and began to climb out of the car. When I'd closed the door, Adrian rolled down the window.

"Did _you _know that during the Renaissance, and particularly in 1500s, artistic painting was not considered a suitable occupation for a gentleman? Since painting involved working with hands, artists were considered craftsmen and were given the same social standing as tailors or shoemakers," He smiled, and I tried to hide my surprise.

"Well, yes, I knew that but . . . I didn't know that you did."

"Well now you do," he shot back, amused by his own wit.

I smiled in spite of myself. "Goodnight," I said, and I walked away.

Moving through the doors of my dormitory, I found an odd comfort in knowing that his warm gaze had remained on me until I was out of his sight.

I spent most of New Year's Day in the library. The quiet was a nice change, considering everything that was going on. I had the picture of my birth-mother, Sarah, in my purse, and every now and then, I would take it out to glance at it. I kept expecting something drastic to happen when I did, like some part of me would suddenly remember her. But I kept coming up empty.

One day, I told myself firmly. One day I'll remember who I was. Then maybe I'll finally be able to decide who I want to be.

I read through some of the spells in her spell book, and picked out a few that I liked, deciding to make a trip to Ms. Terwilliger's storage room on my way back to my dorm. A lot of Sarah's spells didn't require too many ingredients, but I had learned last night that those spells took so much power out of me that it was safer to use a plethora of weaker spells than one powerful one.

The sound of a chair scooting out at my table startled me, and I closed the book quickly, not wanting anyone to see what it was I was reading. I had an IQ higher than ninety-nine percent of the population, but it didn't cover clever excuses for studying witchcraft.

I looked up, into the hazel eyes of Eddie Castile.

"Hey," I said awkwardly.

He gave me a polite nod. "Hey. What was that last night?"

I'd come to the library to avoid my "family" and this exact question. Did I tell him or not? His priority was to protect Jill, not me. I couldn't have everyone worrying about me. I couldn't have everyone risking themselves for me. Adrian was enough.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I lied smoothly. I was hoping that Eddie and Angeline had been too busy protecting Jill to notice that nothing physical had shattered the windows. I was clinging to the hope that they hadn't seen the magic.

Eddie frowned. "I want to believe you, Sydney, I really do, but the thing is…you didn't even look surprised when the windows shattered. It was like you were . . . expecting it."

My hopes plummeted, and my gaze fell on the table. "Eddie," I said, "do you trust me?"

He eyed me for a moment. "Yes, I do."

"Then I need you to trust that I have good reasons for not telling you exactly what happened last night. I just need you to know that it won't happen again, okay? I need you to keep yourself focused on Jill."

He studied me. "All right Sydney . . . I don't like this, but I trust that you know you can always ask for help. I'm just hoping that you know when to do it."

I nodded. "Noted."

Suddenly, he looked uncomfortable. "You know . . . a while ago when you said I could borrow your car to take Angeline on a date?"

"Um, yes . . ."

"Well, winter break's coming to an end here, so I thought tomorrow night would be a good night to do it. I was going to ask you and Adrian to take Jill to her feeding. She'll be safe with the two of you. So just take her to the feeding, and then come straight back to Amberwood and hang out here for a while? That's safe, right?" He looked horrified even talking about the fact Jill would be out of his sight. He looked guilty even suggesting he have a night off.

"She'll be plenty safe with us, I promise. You deserve a night off anyway."

Eddie frowned. "I don't want a night off. It's just, I promised Angeline and I don't want to break my promise; it would be dishonorable."

"Go," I said. "Jill will be fine." Physically, at least. Emotionally, she would be crushed. I wanted to tell Eddie that he most certainly did have a shot with her, but at the same time, I didn't want to mess with his emotions. His feelings were for no one but him to figure out.

He said he'd text me later with the exact plans, and that'd he'd call Adrian and fill him in. I left the library, making my way to Ms. Terwilliger's class. I was surprised to find the door cracked. I pushed it open warily, my free hand clutching the gray pass-out potion Marcus had given me a while ago in my purse.

As if on cue, in the middle of the classroom, Marcus spun around, prepared to attack.

"Hi," I said, eyeing his defensive posture.

He relaxed. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here? The campus is closed. Only students and teachers are allowed."

He smirked. "You really think an ex-Alchemist cares about some human preparatory school's rules?"

I crossed my arms. "I didn't say I thought you cared about breaking the rules. I asked you what you're doing here."

He mimicked my posture, crossing his own arms. "Getting some ingredients."

I sighed grumpily and moved past him, purposely bumping his shoulder in the process.

"Nice," he told me.

"Always," I retorted, making my way into Ms. Terwilliger's supply closet. Marcus followed me, and I sighed again. "Must you follow me everywhere?" I asked him. We just kept running into each other. It was getting ridiculous. Suddenly, Adrian's words from last night rang through my head.

_"How can he just be automatically trusted?"_

I turned to the ex-Alchemist, as I placed some tea leaves into my purse. "Can I trust you?" I asked seriously.

He froze, and set down a coconut (I had no idea why Ms. Terwilliger had one in here) he'd been tossing back and forth between his hands. "You shouldn't trust anyone," he told me gravely.

I felt my eyes widen. "So I shouldn't trust _you_ . . .?"

Marcus studied me, not blinking at all as he spoke. "You can trust me more than some, Sydney, but you shouldn't trust anyone completely. Especially not the Alchemists," he added.

"Why is everything about the Alchemists with you?" I demanded. "Can't you just answer one of my questions without giving me ten more to ask?"

Marcus ran a hand through his hair. "Did that vampire of yours tell you not to trust me or something?"

I glared. "That vampire's name is _Adrian_, and yes, actually. He pointed out the fact that it's odd you're so eager to help me. He's concerned."

"He jealous," Marcus rolled his eyes. "He thinks I'm interested in you."

"What?" I asked, alarmed. "You . . . you aren't . . . right?"

Marcus looked shocked. "What? Oh God, no." His face scrunched up in revulsion, and he looked down at the ground, and snorted. "That would be disgusting."

_Um, ouch._

"Well," I snapped, "You're not such a fine specimen yourself." Sure, he was handsome enough but he came with a lot of baggage.

Marcus shook his head. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just . . ." he gave me a look of dismay. "I can't explain to you how utterly revolting that would be."

"I got the point," I said harshly, shaking my head and walking out of the supply closet. When I was halfway out of the classroom, Marcus called me.

"What?" I asked, facing him again.

He sighed. "You can trust me."

I eyed him carefully, looking for any sign of deceit. I didn't find any. I wasn't completely sure about him yet though. He was still keeping too many secrets from me. There were still some things he was hiding.

"Okay," I said aloud. "You can trust me too, then." I turned and walked out of Ms. Terwilliger's classroom, closing the door softly behind me.

* * *

**This chapter wasn't as action-packed as the last one, but it does lay some important plot. Again, I love reading your reviews. (:**


	16. Chapter 16 Date Night

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Date Night**

Before I accompanied Jill and Adrian to their feeding, there was something I had to take care of. On Friday morning, I stopped by Ms. Terwilliger's house, with her favorite latte in my hand, as a peace offering for asking her for help on such late notice. She opened the door and didn't seem surprised to see me.

"I thought it'd be you," she said, brushing some of her mousy brown out her face.

"Did I wake you, ma'am?" She looked so tired, I almost offered to leave.

She shook her head, taking the latte from my hands. "No. Come on in."

I followed her into her house, a few of her familiar cats circling me as I entered. One of them eyed the keychain on my purse like it might try to jump up and swat it. I gave it a look that said I would resort to animal cruelty if it tried anything. Couldn't she tell them to sit down and behave or something? I didn't like them wandering about freely like this.

"What did you need?" She asked me, pulling a seat out for me at her kitchen table.

"Help with a spell, actually," I admitted. I'd looked through Sarah's spell diary but hadn't found anything that fit what I wanted.

She nodded. "All right." She gestured for me to continue.

"The other night, when we got attacked at Adrian's apartment, I think the Full Moon was following me. Tonight I have to go somewhere with my . . . brother and sister . . . again and I was wondering if you knew a spell that could conceal me, or something that would prevent anyone from following me. I don't want any of my . . . family . . . in danger because of me." I took a deep breath, having let everything out all at once.

Ms. Terwilliger narrowed her eyes in thought. "Conceal you? Well I suppose you could use a charm kind of like what Marcus has in his tattoo."

I frowned. "He said the ink took him nearly two years to make though."

"Because it's so specific. I'm sure he's told you that the ink only disguises him from humans with any vampire blood in their system."

I nodded.

"Well, I could help you charm something that would make you appear as a different person to anyone that didn't know otherwise."

"That sounds kind of like what Adrian does when he makes a spirit charm for someone."

"Your _brother's_ magic originally came from witches and warlocks. There will always be similarities."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the sarcastic way she'd said "brother."

"What can you charm?"

"A piece of jewelry would work nicely. Like this ring I've got here. It'll probably fit." She slid it off of her finger and set it on the table for me to see. It was silver, with what appeared to be a sapphire stone in the middle.

"Only If you're all right with me having it, ma'am. I can go get-"

"No, don't be silly."

She led me down a few long hallways and into her familiar, lab-type room, where I'd once performed a location spell to find one of my friends, Sonya.

"Do I need to do the spell?" I asked tiredly.

Ms. Terwilliger shook her head. "Yes. It's meant to conceal _you_, not me."

She pulled her phone out of her cellphone pocket, and dialed someone.

"Marcus?" There was a pause. "Wolfe? Malachi why are you answering Marcus' phone? He's _what?_" Ms. Terwilliger looked annoyed about something, but not all that surprised. "You know not to let him try to get things out of them; he expects essay length answers, and we don't have time for them. Well then you march yourself down there and take his place for a minute. I need to ask him a few questions."

I was confused. "Ma'am, what's-"

She waved a hand down to silence me. "_Really_ Malachi? Well, since you've decided to be obstinate, do you have a good concealment spell that Sydney could charm into a ring? I've got one that works wondrously, but it takes hours. I need a shorter one."

I considered telling Ms. Terwilliger that Wolfe's best idea of concealment was probably an eye patch and a bandana, but I refrained, deciding she was already a bit on edge. While she nodded and jotted some stuff down onto paper I humored myself with the thought of Adrian seeing me with an eye patch.

_Adrian._ I was going to have to face him after what I'd said the other day. I hadn't exactly told him I'd had feelings for him, but in a desperate attempt to prove nothing was going on with me and Marcus, I'd certainly hinted my feelings, or whatever they were. I felt vulnerable, exposed, unable to hide behind the claim that this thing going on between us was one-sided.

"Sydney," Ms. Terwilliger called, snapping me out of my haze.

I wasn't used to having to be called to attention, so I straightened up automatically. "Yes ma'am?"

"Come here," she gestured to one of the lab tables, where she'd placed the ring in a bowl of water. Then she handed me a notepad where she had scrawled some instructions. My face scrunched up at the first one.

"Go on the internet and find a picture of a non-descript human?" I asked. "What does-"

"You'll print the picture of the person you choose and then place it in the water with the ring. By the time you complete the rest of the steps, the charm will make you will look like the picture you chose."

I nearly groaned, not liking how there was so little logic involved in all of this stuff. Ms. Terwilliger informed me that the spell would probably take about two hours or so, and that she'd set some orange juice and crackers out for me. She apparently had to go deal with whatever was going on with Wolfe and Marcus. I wanted to know more on the matter myself, but I also knew I needed to be completely focused on the spell for now.

I briefed myself on Palm Springs' demographics before choosing a picture. The two leading demographics in Palm Springs were Caucasian (seventy-five percent) and Hispanic/Latino (twenty-five percent) as of 2010. Deciding that I looked the least Hispanic/Latino, I chose an average looking Hispanic girl that was around my age for my charm.

I placed her picture in the bowl, feeling a bit idiotic, and grateful no one (especially the Alchemists) knew how I was spending my Friday morning. I'd also researched to make sure that this girl didn't live anywhere near here, to avoid awkward scenarios that were statistically unreasonable but with my horrible luck, entirely possible.

Once I was done, I returned to Amberwood around five. I had time to run by my dorm and complete a couple of homework problems before Eddie arrived at my door, requesting the keys to Latte.

I gave the keys to him – not before giving him a through lecture on how to treat Latte – and watched as he and Angeline left for their date. I pondered what to say to Jill to make her feel better as I waited for her to open her door to her dorm. She'd been pretty upset since she'd heard about the date, but had hid her feelings from Eddie and Angeline. I was the only one whom she'd confided in, and though it flattered me, I felt guilty. The guilt probably had something to do with the fact that I knew Eddie had feelings for her, but he didn't think he was good enough. I couldn't tell her though, because then that would be betraying Eddie.

I suddenly wished I was back in my dorm doing something less complex, like my AP Calculus homework.

Jill opened the door, and her light green eyes looked a little puffy, like she might have been crying.

"Hey," I said.

Jill gave me a smile that was obviously forced; I wondered if the proper thing to do would've been to hug her. "Hey," she said back. "Adrian's running late, so we can hang out in here for a little while."

I nodded. It wasn't unusual for Adrian to be a little less than punctual. "Why's he running late? Did he spill paint on himself or something?" It was a feeble attempt to lighten the mood.

"No," Jill said. "He drove up to the Guardian's office outside of town to give them a letter for his mom. He's stuck in traffic now. And he . . ." Jill trailed off and looked uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked.

"Well he really just can't sing very well. And he likes the song that's on the radio right now."

I stared.

"I mean, he _really _likes it."

"Well, some things no one should have to see . . . or hear," I muttered.

Jill gave me genuine smile. Good. I was glad my commentary on Adrian's solo performance had cheered her up a bit.

It wasn't long before Adrian arrived, and Jill and I met him in the parking lot. Fortunately, his impromptu concert was over.

"Hey Jailbait," He said. He was shielding his eyes from the sun with his forearm, and wearing dark-washed jeans with some sort of lightweight, long-sleeved dark blue shirt.

He crooked me a grin. "Sage." He glanced over my outfit. "Nice khakis. Is that a new pair?"

I tried hard not to smile. "Yes, actually. I'm surprised you noticed."

"It's hard not to notice everything about you, Sydney," Jill said suddenly, eyeing me in that weird, enraptured way I'd seen only a few times. I didn't like it.

"Well, I suppose not, if you're a naturally observant-" I began.

Adrian cleared his throat, interrupting me. "Let's get on the road. I'm looking forward to seeing old crazy Clarence."

Jill frowned. "No you're not, you-"

Adrian gave her a stern look, staring into her eyes. I watched as some sort of message passed through their bond. "Yes, I am."

Jill nodded. "Right, right."

I opened the door to the backseat, allowing Jill to take shotgun, and then froze, remembering something. I had to wear the charm I'd made today, obviously, and Adrian was the only who knew about the witch problems. I could tell him about the charm so that he'd still see me as me, but if I didn't tell Jill, she'd be seeing me as a very tall, Hispanic girl.

Jill was already in the car, but Adrian turned to me, placing a hand on my shoulder as though he were steadying me. The odd part was that I hadn't felt dizzy until he'd touched me.

"You okay? What's up?"

I averted my eyes. "You know the whole Simone thing? And how one of her henchmen followed us to your apartment the other night?"

Adrian nodded, and then sighed. "You're worried about someone following us to Clarence's." His words weren't a question. He thought for a moment. "I could make you a spirit charm like I did for Jill at Sonya's wedding."

"No," I said immediately, remembering his darkness induced blow-up the night before we'd left on the plane to go to Pennsylvania. I didn't want him to feel obliged to take care of me, especially when it caused him ill side-effects in the process. Besides, I already had a charm. I just didn't know how to tell Jill what all was going on. There was of course the possibility she already knew because of the bond . . .

"Does Jill know about Simone?" I asked Adrian seriously. He'd looked a bit offended at my refusal to let him make me a charm. "That's my main concern. I already have a charm," I explained, trying to make him feel better about how I'd turned down his offer. "It makes me look like a different person to people who don't know I have it on. If Jill doesn't know I have it on . . . I won't look like me."

Adrian studied me. "She could definitely already know about it. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I found out," he admitted. "I've been-"

Suddenly, the driver's side window rolled down. Jill was leaned over the seat and poked her head out of the window, looking guilty. "I already know, Sydney but I won't tell anyone, I swear. Not even Eddie or Angeline. Honestly, I think it's kind of like really awesome you can do magic. I mean, you were so good that night at Adrian's apartment. I wouldn't want to mess with you. I mean, I wouldn't want to even if you couldn't do magic but . . ." she took a breath nervously. "I won't tell anyone," she repeated, finishing her babbling.

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, although the way she'd described my magic as "really awesome" was a bit unsettling.

I pulled the ring from my purse and slid it on, and a tingling feeling spread all over me, signaling it had worked. Adrian narrowed his eyes along with Jill.

"You still look the same to me," he said. "Blonde hair. Lily tattoo. New khakis."

I sighed. "The charm's working," I told the two of them, and I climbed in the car, pulling my navy blazer closer together. The sun was starting to sink, but it hadn't set yet, which meant the dessert would still be warm a little while longer. When we were on the road, I couldn't help but smile at the way Adrian was cheering Jill up further. Every now and then, I would catch his eye in one of his mirrors, and he'd give me a small smile of his own.

By the time we had reached Clarence's, Jill was laughing at Adrian's story about his favorite paintbrush. He had misplaced it, and later apparently slipped on it and fallen, and then of course found it. He'd said that because it had "made him fall" it was no longer his favorite paintbrush. I'd told him that inanimate objects didn't generally make people do anything, but he'd waved a hand down saying he didn't want to hear any of my insightful protests.

When we stepped inside Clarence's house, I was surprised to see a small white box type thing on the wall by his front door. Further examination showed the controls to a security system.

"Who would've installed a security system? Even the great and mighty Belikov wasn't qualified to do that," Adrian remarked.

I studied the system a bit longer. "I'm not sure . . ."

"Marcus? Is that you?" We heard Clarence call from further inside the house.

"It's Adrian, Jill, and Sydney," Jill called out. Adrian and I followed her through the long twists and turns to Clarence's living room. Right before I entered, I slid the ring off of my finger, not wanting to Clarence to be more confused than he already was. He was sitting in his trusty recliner, looking around alertly.

He frowned at Adrian. "What's your name again young man?"

"Adrian," Adrian responded, crossing his arms.

Clarence's gaze turned inward. "How do I always forget you . . . ?" He turned to me. "And you're Sydney, of course. Marcus talks about you all of the time."

"Oh he does, huh?" Adrian asked, stiffening. "Who would've guessed that?" He inquired dryly.

"He's been um, helping me with some stuff," I told the old Moroi, trying to ignore Adrian and Jill's scrutinizing stares.

Clarence nodded thoughtfully. "He's nice a young man that Marcus."

"Great," Adrian grumbled beside me. "Even the old man's vouching for him."

Jill shot him a look and smoothed her shirt down nervously. "Well, I'm going to go get my blood."

Clarence snapped out of his daze, and told Jill that Dorothy would be waiting in her bedroom. Clarence got into a discussion with Adrian about ways to remember his name, and something occurred to me.

"Mr. Donahue?" I asked, momentarily interrupting their conversation.

"Eh? Yes?" He turned to me, and pushed his spectacles further up his nose.

"Did you say you had a library here?"

"Why, yes. I do. Lots of books up in there."

"What else would there be?" Adrian muttered quietly.

"Would it be all right if I checked it out?" I asked.

Clarence nodded. "Yes, yes, sure. Go up the stairs and it's the last door on the left."

I thanked him and followed his directions to the library. The door handle was dusty, indicating that it hadn't been used for a pretty long time. I walked in and flipped on a light switch in the corner. The switch was connected to a few low-lit ceiling lights. There was an old fireplace in the corner, with ashes at the bottom. And books . . . there were so many books. I closed the door behind me and stared in wonder.

Shelf upon shelf lined the walls, filled with books of every size and kind. I could've spent all day in here. If given enough food and water, I probably could've lived in here. An open book on a table in the center of the room caught my eye, and I took a seat in one of the large wooden chairs at the table, so that I could take a look.

The book appeared to be just like everything else in this room: abandoned. A nice felt tip pen lay beside it, and judging by the handwritten text on the pages this was someone's journal. I glanced over at the door, afraid someone was going to walk in and catch me reading someone's personal thoughts. What if the journal had belonged to Clarence, back when he hadn't been so scattered? But then again, he had told me I could come up here. He hadn't told there was anything I shouldn't read.

Gently, I flipped the journal over and wiped some dust from the cover. On the very bottom, engraved in gold script, was the name Marcus Darnell.

Clarence had mentioned that at one time, a few years ago, Marcus had spent a lot of time up here. Judging by the way his adopted name was on the front, he'd still been an Alchemist while he'd kept this journal.

A war raged inside of me: curiosity versus invading someone's privacy. Reading this was different than reading Marcus' file. His file had been other people's words about him. This journal contained words of his own, from his mind, from his heart.

In the end, I made the decision to open to a page in the middle. I felt horrible doing so, but at the same time, I had to know. Curiosity won and I read the words neatly written across the page.

_This is growing exhausting. I'm letting the Alchemists me pull me close, and in turn, I'm pushing the ones that care the most away. I feel trapped; it's like I can't breathe. One moment, I'm content sticking to my beliefs, what I know is right, and the next . . . I feel so caged. I find myself nearly thinking of ways to leave the Alchemists._

_But if I even once let the thought cross my mind, what does that say about me? That I care more about my own selfish wants than I do the people that raised me? That I'd turn my back on everything I've known for some vampire I've just met? Sure, I've known Tamara, a while now - sometimes it feels as though I've known her my whole life - but is she worth it? Is she worth giving up everything? She can't be, I'm continuously telling myself. No one person can be worth that. But when I'm with her – and lately, even when I'm not – it's like no one else matters._

I was captivated by his words, _haunted_ by his words. All of the times I'd been around Marcus, he'd been, well, kind of hateful of the Alchemists. But in this journal entry . . . he didn't sound like the crazy radical I sometimes wrote him off to be. In fact, if I was being honest with myself . . . he sounded a lot like me. I shook my head incredulously and flipped further to the back.

_Something here is terribly wrong. I can sense it, and so can Tamara and Kelly. Tamara frequently jokes about Kelly's paranoia, but sometimes I feel like we should make light of her guardian instincs._

I froze. Kelly, a guardian? Considering the fact that Tamara was a Moroi, it wasn't all that unusual she'd have one, but she'd lived with her uncle, who'd never shown interest in one. That caused something to occur to me. _Why _had Tamara been living with her uncle instead of her parents? Was she an orphan or was she in hiding like Jill? Something inside of me screamed she'd been in hiding and had been _sent_ to live with her uncle. If Tamara had somehow been in danger, that would've explained why she'd needed a guardian. It was also explain why there'd been an Alchemist needed at Amberwood. I wondered if some of the papers in Marcus' file hadn't gone into enough detail.

Again, that name Kelly jumped out at me. I'd heard it somewhere before. And then, I remembered.

Lee Donahue, Clarence's deranged son had gone on a killing rampage in an attempt to become Strigoi again. One of his victims had been a dhampir named Kelly Hayes. And then he'd later killed Tamara.

And Marcus had been sent to Re-education. He must've been there when Lee had struck.

I stared down at the journal in horror and astonishment. What other secrets where in here? Would it be wrong of me to take it with me to do some more reading? After all it hadn't been-

The sound of a door opening made me jump. Adrian stood in the doorframe, taking in the scene.

"Am I interrupting a good book?"

I shook my head. "I wouldn't call it that . . . more like a horror novel."

"I'll make a nice addition to the atmosphere then, being a vampire and all," he said, walking over and sinking into the seat next to me. I closed Marcus' journal and turned my chair so that I could face Adrian. He did the same and his eyes softened.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"Okay…" I said, confused.

"You don't have to be strong for me," he said seriously. "I know that all of this has got to be getting to you. Simone. The fact you're adopted. Marco creeping around trying to talk you into leaving the Alchemists."

I put on a gruff face, trying to ignore what he was getting at. "I'm good at multi-tasking."

He didn't smile. "I never said you weren't Sage. But I also told you in the car when I picked you up from the airport, that we weren't done talking about all of this. You've got to let it out to someone."

I sighed, and let my hands fall to my lap. "Why do you keep helping me?" I asked him.

"Because I want to," he said simply, echoing the same words I'd said to him once, when things had been a lot simpler. Or back when I'd been able to convince myself they were.

"Do you know who your birth parents are?"

I nodded. "They sound like they were really good people."

He stiffened. "Were . . . ?"

"They're dead," I told him, emotionlessly.

His hands were in his lap also, and were extremely close to mine. His fingers gently brushed against mine, and that familiar warmth burned where we'd touched. "I'm so sorry," he said earnestly, eventually taking my hands into his.

I shrugged. "My mom's sister, Sarah, is actually my birth mother. And she married some warlock named Michael . . . but I never really knew them, so it's okay."

He squeezed my hands tighter, and I found myself squeezing his back, needing the comfort. "But they were still your parents, Sage. And no kid is better off without their parents," he said pointedly.

I gave in and nodded, feeling tears springing into my eyes. "You know what the worst part about the adoption thing was though?"

"What?" He asked gently.

"My parents kept it from me. I hate being left in the dark. It makes me feel like . . . I don't know . . . like I'm not good enough for the truth. Like, everyone thinks I can't handle it, or that I'm better off not knowing it."

"Did the Alchemists know?" He asked quietly.

I closed my eyes and then reopened them. "I really hope not."

We were quiet for a few moments, and I decided I needed to shift the topic from me. "Jill said you wrote a letter for your mom and took it to the Guardian's Office so that they could mail it."

He nodded. "I did. Thank you so much, Sage. That was the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten."

"Even though it was on a sticky note?"

"Even though it was on a sticky note," he repeated, finally smiling a little bit. He studied me for a minute. "If your parents were here, you know what?" He asked, suddenly, his tone shifting back to a rare show of utter seriousness. He was absentmindedly drew circles into my palms with his fingertips.

"What?"

"They'd be _so_ proud of you."

I met his eyes in disbelief. "I don't know about that," I whispered.

"Why wouldn't they be? Some crazy witch is after you, but you're refusing to give up, even though the magic is something you've been taught to hate. You never do give up, you never will, even though sometimes, God knows, you have to feel like you want to."

I shook my head and wiped a tear that had rolled down my cheek.

"Someone would have to be crazy, not to be proud of you. Hell, someone crazy is proud of you too." He made a cuckoo noise and pointed to himself. I laughed in spite of everything, and glanced up at him.

The low-lighting of the room, made his emerald eyes alight with a strange glow. Something in them moved me to do what I did next.

For the second time in my life, I stopped thinking.

I pulled my hands from his and reached out, placing one on either side of his face. Some instinct inside of me told me what to do, and my lips found their way to his; they'd been trying to since that day in his apartment. He stiffened at first, from shock probably. Oh well, I couldn't say I blamed him. I was pretty shocked at what I was doing too. After a moment, his lips responded equally hungrily, and he knotted one hand in my hair, while the other clutched the small of my back.

This kiss was more intense than our first, and my hands seemed to have a mind of their own as well. One ran continuously through his hair, which was surprisingly soft considering all of the gel he put in it. The other trailed down his torso, feeling his chest rising and falling heavily.

Somehow, in the midst of everything else his mouth was doing, he managed to whisper the simplest word, which had more power than any rule, or judgment, in the world.

"Sydney," was all he said, and then his mouth was back on mine, fiercer than before. My hold on him tightened as his did on me. I felt his hands lower, just beyond the small of my back and on instinct, and I shifted my body even closer to his.

Unexpectedly, there was a loud crash downstairs. Adrian froze first, his vampire ears having heard it much louder than my mere human ears. "Dammit," he growled. "Really?"

I looked down at how close I had come to being on his lap, and a fierce blush began to rise all over my skin. I pulled back, my breathing still heavy, and my cheeks still flushed.

That hadn't been him, this time. That had been me. I'd kissed a vampire. And I'd liked it. I'd liked it a lot.

"We should go," I whispered. I didn't know why I was speaking so low. There was no one around us, but I still I couldn't bring myself to speak at a regular volume. It just didn't seem right. "Jill's probably waiting."

Adrian seemed a bit out of it, but nodded, planting one of his smirky smiles on his face. I tried not to grimace at the obvious bounce in his step as he walked out of the library with me.

"Jailbait?" Adrian called. We walked into Clarence's kitchen.

"Jill?" My voice echoed through Clarence's huge house, almost sounding eerie.

Adrian frowned. "That's weird . . . maybe she's not listening for us?"

We walked into the living room, and that was when we realized something was dreadfully wrong. Clarence was still in his recliner, but there was blood coming from a wound on his head like he'd been knocked out.

And Jill was nowhere in sight.

* * *

**The plot is going to start to really pick up from here on out. I hope that the kiss scene was what you expected, actually, better than you expected. Like I always say, I love your reviews. (: I _never_ thought I'd get this many. **


	17. Chapter 17 The Tracking Spell

**Chapter Seventeen **

**The Tracking Spell**

Adrian rushed to Clarence's side while I pulled out my cell phone and made the dreaded call. I hated to interrupt them, but I knew that I had no choice.

Eddie answered after the first ring, obviously having left his cell phone on, in case of an emergency. I was pretty sure this qualified as one.

"Hello?"

I took a deep breath. "Eddie, it's Sydney. I need you and Angeline to come to Clarence's now. Jill's gone. And Clarence looks as though he's been knocked out. Look out for any suspicious cars on your way over, because a vehicle's the only way someone could've gotten Jill away so quickly."

"We're on our way. We'll get there as soon as we can." His voice was strong, despite the fear I knew he was feeling. I knew, because my own fear was building. My heart pounded, as I struggled to control my emotions.

When I turned back to Adrian, I saw that he had healed Clarence.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, moving to the old Moroi's side. He appeared to be out cold, which bothered me. If he'd been awake, he might've been able to help us understand what we were facing.

Adrian nodded. "I think so. He's just been knocked out." His eyes scanned the room for any sign of forced entry. I did the same, trying to figure out what the intruder had used as a weapon against Clarence. Nothing was overturned or disturbed, which led me to believe that they must've had their own weapons. They had come prepared to do battle.

Adrian was watching me. "Sage . . . you don't think it could be Simone, do you? Like she's got Jill to try to use her against you or trap you?"

My stomach clenched at the thought, but I shook my head. "I had the ring on the entire way over here. I felt the charm working. Unless she somehow knew I was going to be here tonight, I doubt it. Besides," I added, standing up from where I had knelt near Clarence, "if there was magic used, I would have felt it. I can sort of sense other magic users. That's how I knew someone was about to attack at your apartment the other night."

Adrian nodded. "Dammit," he growled. "I feel useless just standing around like this." His eyes flashed with an anger that was frightening. "Who the hell would want to hurt Jill? I don't understand it. She's never done anything to hurt anyone."

I was about to respond when something caught my eye. There, lying on the floor a few feet away, was Jill's cell phone. I rushed over and picked it up.

Adrian eyed it. "Well, there goes my movie-worthy action sequence of her calling us and you and I racing gallantly to her rescue in my Mustang."

"She probably wouldn't have been able to say anything, even if she were able to call us."

"I know that, Sage. I was figuring we could track her cell phone signal."

I looked up in shock. "Adrian, that's it."

He frowned. "Huh?"

I grabbed my purse and Sarah's spell dairy, flipping through the pages. I hadn't ever really read through many of the location spells in the book, but something told me there had to be some sort of location spell that would act as a tracking device. The one I'd used on Sonya was worthless. Jill's location was constantly moving, because she was probably in a car. Sonya's had been constant. We didn't have enough time to wait for Jill's to be.

Finally, I found a spell that looked as though it might work.

"Find me an Atlas," I told Adrian. He left the room as I scanned the spell. My heart sunk. I needed the blood of the person I was trying to track, or the blood of someone directly related to them.

Adrian returned, an atlas in hand. "I assume you need the page on California, unless you want to road trip to Vegas."

I sank to the couch, my head in my hands. "I need Jill's blood to able to track her. That or the blood of someone directly connected to her, like a relative." Although this spell appeared useless to us, I marked the location of Clarence's house on the map.

Adrian was silent. Then his eyes lit up. He sat down next to me.

"The blood of someone directly _connected _to her? Would my blood work then? I mean, we have sort of a physic connection. That's got to count for something."

I stared at him in wonder. "You are brilliant," I said, shaking my head.

He gave me a smile. "So I've heard."

I smiled, in spite of the dire circumstances, as I recalled the time I had called him brilliant. He'd bragged to everyone about it. My smile quickly faded, as I thought about what I was going to have to do. "I don't have any needles or anything," I said.

Adrian left the room and returned shortly with a knife.

"Adrian-"

It was too late. He'd already made a gash in his wrist, wincing in pain as the blade cut his skin. Blood began trickling down his arm.

"Come on, Sage, tell me what to do. My blood's too precious to waste."

I leapt up and pulled his arm over the map, allowing some of his blood to drip on the location I'd marked as Clarence's house. Even now, as tense as we were, my skin tingled from brushing against his, and I had a brief flashback to what had happened in the library only minutes before. I felt a blush begin to creep across my skin, and I kept my eyes focused on the blood, allowing exactly five drops to fall to the map.

When I was finished, I reached into my purse for a tissue, some hydrogen peroxide, and a band aid. I turned back and took his arm once more, but I realized there was no longer a wound; just dried blood.

"You shouldn't use your magic so much," I ordered seriously. "First Clarence and now this. It's not healthy-"

He shrugged. "I'm fine Sage. It's 'not healthy' to keep so many things in your purse. If you were ever stranded in the wild, you could probably live out of that thing."

"I'm not sure I'd have an adequate amount of food." I mused, handing him the hydrogen peroxide and a tissue for his arm.

"I don't think you _ever _have an adequate amount of food," he muttered, taking a seat next to me.

I flushed, feeling angry and embarrassed, but I ignored his comment. It was irrelevant, and it was the last thing I wanted to think about.

"Right now, we need to focus on Jill," I said, through clenched teeth, returning my attention to the spell.

He stiffened at the mention of Jill, but appeared otherwise unaffected by my directive. "If you ate a little more, the magic might not take so much out of you."

My blood ran cold. "Adrian, stop it. You said you wouldn't bring it up again unless I did."

He fell silent.

I placed the map on the coffee table in front of me and pulled some mint leaves from my purse. Adrian watched me quietly, leaning forward. I felt conflicted about doing this in front of him. It was witchcraft, after all. It would make sense to be a little uncomfortable doing it in front of anyone. Yet at the same time, I wanted him to see it. I wanted him to know how good I was becoming at it. I wanted him to know that I didn't disapprove of using the magic as much as I knew I should.

I tore the mint leaves into small pieces and scattered them across the map, muttering the incantation in Latin. I closed my eyes in concentration, and felt the same aching in my head I'd felt when I'd used the force shield spell. I forced myself to ignore it, and I continued to mutter the incantation, almost like a soft chant. Eventually, the magic took me in its grasp, and I felt the familiar sensation of being free, like there was nothing in this world that could ever tear me down.

In her diary, Sarah had written that when the tracking spell was correctly set into place, the happy feeling from the magic would be in the back of the caster's mind, reminding them that they were working magic. The headache wouldn't worsen as quickly, but it would worsen gradually over time, the longer the spell was used.

My eyes flew open, and I watched incredulously as Adrian's blood slowly moved across the paper. If the results of the spell could be trusted, Jill was about thirty miles away and moving.

Adrian watched, hiding any surprise or discomfort he felt, having seen me do something so odd.

"That's useful," was all he had time to say. Just as the words were out of his mouth, Eddie and Angeline raced into the living room. Eddie's body was tense, his eyes wild, as though he'd expected to walk in on a fight.

Adrian and I rose from the couch and I grabbed the atlas and my purse. "We've got a sort of tracking device on Jill. We know where she is and we'll be able to tell wherever she's being taken."

Angeline's eyebrows rose as she looked at the map. "What is that? It looks like blood and it's-"

"The method of tracking her doesn't matter," Eddie told Angeline, almost sharply. "Sydney, you're in the car with me and Angeline, so that you can direct us. Adrian, you follow us so that we've got a safe back-up. I'd tell you to stay out of it, but you don't take directions well, so my point is moot."

We got on the road, and Eddie drove Latte at a speed that most people on the road probably weren't used to seeing a Suburban go. I directed him, and he kept his eyes on the road, his guardian mask in place. I turned my head to face Angeline momentarily in the back. Her arms were crossed, and she looked extremely focused. I met her eyes and she promptly turned attention out of the window.

"Any idea of who's taken Jill?" Eddie asked.

"No," I admitted, still sure that it couldn't be Simone. The thought of her made me remember I hadn't put my ring back on after leaving Clarence's. I sank a bit lower in the seat, as though that might help me hide my appearance from the other drivers. Putting the ring on would require explaining that I was a witch to Eddie and Angeline, which was not something that needed to be brought up right now.

"I hope it's not any of the Warriors, again," Eddie said darkly.

I stiffened. "They left town. Trey said they move around and follow Strigoi. They'd have no reason to go after Jill."

"What about some of the radical offshoot that went after Clarence?"

I shook my head. "Marcus would've heard something." He spent a lot of time keeping an eye out for Warriors, for Clarence's sake.

Angeline suddenly joined the conversation. "Did he know where you guys were going to be tonight?"

I gave Eddie another direction and frowned, wondering what Angeline was getting at. "I might've mentioned it to him in passing at some point. Why?"

"I don't trust him," Angeline said, sounding like Adrian.

"Me either," Eddie stated.

"You guys don't even know him," I tried to point out reasonably, though my tone sounded defensive.

"And you do?" Eddie asked.

I shook my head. "He would never do anything to hurt any of us. He's on our side."

"Or at least he wants you to think he is," Angeline said ominously.

My retort died on my lips as I watched the blood stop moving on the map. I pulled out my phone and typed in the coordinates of the location. I caught my breath as the address appeared in the search bar of my phone. My head began to pound, as I finally let the magic go.

Eddie and Angeline noticed the change.

"Where is she?" Eddie asked.

"Lia DiStefano's fashion shop," I said, my voice sounding as dark as the night itself.

"The woman who made you and Jill dresses for the Halloween dance?" Angeline inquired.

I gave a stiff nod, and Eddie made a sharp right turn, picking up speed. "What would Lia want with Jill?"

"If Lia just wanted her to model, there really wasn't any need to knock Clarence out," Angeline mused.

"It's something more sinister than an impromptu fashion show," I said, fear running through my veins. A cold chill ran over me as I thought of how Lia had tricked Jill into modeling for her. Jill hadn't meant to cause problems by doing the modeling for Lia, but she had been too naïve and intrigued to know better. She hadn't realized that Lia was going to publish the pictures in a tourist magazine. I'd pushed this particular problem to the back of my long list, surviving Simone's attacks taking precedence over everything else.

I'd been selfish and irresponsible. I'd been so worried about learning to defend myself I hadn't paid nearly enough attention to Jill's safety. I'd been too busy practicing magic with an ex-Alchemist and kissing a vampire.

What were the Alchemists going to do if they found out about this? What were they going to say if they realized I wasn't paying as much attention as they believed?

But it wasn't the Alchemists I had let down; It was Jill. I was lying to myself by saying I merely cared because my job required it, that I only cared because she was such an important Royal. I cared because Jill didn't deserve any of this. I cared because she was kind and genuine and needed an "older sister" to watch out for her. I cared, I realized, because I genuinely loved her.

Eddie slowed his speed considerably as he drove behind Lia's shop. He parked behind an old dumpster, concealing Latte as best as he could. We were far enough away that anyone in the shop wouldn't have been able to detect our arrival. Still, as we crowded around outside of Latte, our voices were hushed, even though the sounds of the city would've drowned anything out.

Adrian parked his Mustang in a nearby shopping area and strode over toward us. He took a stance by me, crossing his arms. We filled him in on what we knew. I informed the group about the photo-shoot Lia had tricked Jill into doing a while ago, and I could feel their disapproval at the fact I hadn't told them.

"I wish we knew how many people were inside," Eddie said, his brow creasing in frustration. "Then I could know whether we need back-up or not. I don't want to call back up unless it's absolutely necessary, because more cars will attract more attention. We might gain force from it but we'd lose the element of surprise."

Angeline frowned. "We need a way to sneak inside. I'd say one of us go in and pose as a customer, but the shop's closed. It would be too weird."

Eddie and Angeline tossed other ideas out, while I hung my head. Beside me, Adrian brushed my hand. I jumped at the contact, angry at myself for what had happened in the library earlier, and how this situation might've been prevented.

"Don't," I told him.

His emerald eyes flashed with something like disappointment, but otherwise he ignored my reaction. "You've got an idea." It wasn't a question.

"I always have an idea," I countered. "The question is whether it will work or not."

Adrian cleared his throat, getting Eddie and Angeline's attention. "The floor is yours Sage," he said, gesturing to me grandly with his hand.

I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for what I was about to say to the two dhampirs. This is for Jill, I had to tell myself.

"I have a way I can get in without being seen, but I need each of you to promise that you will never, under any circumstances, talk about what you're about to see," I told them sternly.

Eddie and Angeline exchanged glances but each of them nodded.

"How are you going to get in?" Eddie asked.

I reached in my purse and pulled out my trusty invisibility amulet. I made eye-contact with each of them, aware of Adrian's gaze watching me faithfully as I spoke.

I held up the amulet. "This will make me invisible."

Angeline scoffed. "It's a necklace."

Adrian looked at her. "Sage has some pretty cool tricks up her sleeve. It'll work."

"I can sneak in and get an idea how many people are involved and where they've got Jill. I can send you a text to tell you what I see," I continued. "Then we can take action from there, and get Jill out." I had once used the amulet to make Marcus and myself invisible at the same time, but we had been stationary. It was different here. Our best defense was to remain stealth. It wasn't possible for two people to wear the necklace while trying to quietly move about.

Eddie considered my words. He begrudgingly agreed. "All right, Sydney. I'm trusting you here. But if anything starts to go amiss, get yourself out. We don't need two people to rescue."

I nodded, putting on a brave face. "I'll be fine. I've used this spell a few times before."

"Spell?" Angeline muttered, her blue eyes widening in shock.

I ignored her and placed the amulet around my neck, clutching my phone in my hand.

"Wait," Eddie said suddenly, "what if the door's locked?"

"I have a way to get around that, too," I admitted sheepishly.

"Damn, Sydney," Eddie said.

"We'll be right outside," Adrian told me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "If anything goes wrong, shout. We'll hear you. I'll get you out."

I fiddled with the amulet, my fingers lightly brushing against the golden cross underneath it. "I'll be fine," was all I could manage to say.

I turned from them and made my way around to the front of the building. My shadow moved eerily in the harsh cool moonlight. The lights in Lia's shop were off and blinds covered all of the windows. My hand shook as I placed it on the metal door handle.

I whispered the incantation for the familiar unlocking spell, and turned the nob as quietly as I could. Then I muttered the incantation for the invisibility spell, feeling the familiar cool rush of air flow over my skin. The slight headache I'd had from the tracking spell vanished completely and I felt a small smile form on my lips. For the first time, I was the hero; long ago seemed the night I'd been defenseless in the alley. I was going to help save someone I cared about. A sense of pride welled up in me, silencing my nerves.

I pushed the door open, and crept inside.

* * *

**Thanks to all of you for your continued support! (: **


	18. Chapter 18 The Power of Darkness

**Chapter Eighteen **

**The Power of Darkness**

Having been an Alchemist for eighteen years, I had attended enough business meetings to rival most of corporate America. I could do just about anything in heels. But tonight, I was immensely grateful that I'd worn flats with my khakis. The dark fashion shop was so quiet, one could've heard a pin drop. I was almost afraid to breathe; afraid they might hear me. Of course, I had to continue breathing, as the brain needed oxygen to survive and to perform basic bodily functions.

I weaved my way through coat hangers, trying to bump them as little as possible. By sheer luck I'd been able to open the door without anyone noticing. Knowing I was invisible gave me confidence to pull this off, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but feel appalled by how much I was relying on the magic. I was almost wholly dependent upon it, the same way Eddie was dependent upon his combat skills when he faced a Strigoi. Of course, Eddie had been taught his entire life to use those skills; I had been taught to have nothing to do with magic.

The use of magic was weighing heavily on me. Spells weren't being cast against me. I wasn't using the magic for defensive purposes. I was using it to go on the offensive.

This is for Jill, I reminded myself.

There was no one in the front room of the shop, and I stood by the checkout counter, eyeing a door down a hallway. Light seeped out from underneath it, and I could hear hushed voices. If I just sneaked over and pushed the door open, one of them could easily close it in my face. This was something I obviously wanted to avoid.

It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't planned how to give the others the cue to come in. I looked around, and my gaze fell on a door at the end of the hall. Based on my current position, I thought that it probably opened behind the shop, where the others were waiting. I moved closer to the door behind which I heard voices. It was slightly ajar, and I peered through the opening.

I could see the back of a tall, large man, and another man stood on the other side of the room. I stifled a gasp. The man on the far side of the room had a gun pointed toward something that was out of my view.

Probably Jill, I thought. An attempt to keep her from trying to escape.

I could hear Lia's voice, but she was out of sight.

"Will you just call them already, John?" She asked impatiently. "They didn't give me the impression they wanted to be kept waiting."

I knew that we couldn't allow them to make that call, and I quickly texted Eddie, giving him the odds we faced and sharing the crazy plan that had just occurred to me. I crept to the back door that opened to the outside and placed my hand on the doorknob. I recited the incantation to unlock the spell, speaking as quietly as I could. I was beginning to feel drained from performing all the magic, but I forced myself to work through the fatigue, and I softly pushed the back door open. A rush of cool air hit me in the face, and I spotted Eddie, Adrian, and Angeline poised and ready outside. Their eyes scanned the area and if it hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed at their expressions as they stared at the empty space where they knew I had to be.

I made my way back into the shop area itself, but still lingered near the back of it, where I could keep my eye on the hallway.

I sent Eddie a text, telling him to be ready. Then I prepared to do what was probably the most destructive thing I'd ever done in my life.

I took one of the racks of clothes and pushed it, flipping it over completely on its side. I then ran and flipped another one over, resisting the urge to coil over in a fit of laughter. This was kind of fun.

_The Alchemists love vandalism,_ I found myself thinking wryly. If they knew how talented at it I was, maybe they'd respect me a bit more.

One of the men came bursting out of the door in the back, storming over to wear he'd heard the commotion. He looked around comically.

"Who's there?" He called.

What I did next must've been induced by the high of the magic, and nothing more, because it surely, wasn't something I would've normally done; I couldn't hold back the few loud laughs that escaped my chest.

His face scrunched up in anger, and before he could persue me, or well try too, he was clubbed on the back of the head with a handgun.

Adrian watched the man fall to the ground, a wicked smile on his face that was annoyingly attractive. He looked around, expecting me to show myself, now that our element of surprise was over. Eddie and Angeline had burst into the room where Lia and the other man had been. Judging by the loud thumps, everything was going all right. Eddie and Angeline were certainly better warriors than their opponents; their most important task was to get the gun away from the man that had been aiming it at Jill.

I removed the invisibility amulet from my neck and stuffed it in my pocket. I felt a little dizzy from all of the magic, but otherwise, I was all right. Adrian seemed to notice this and looked as though he might reach out to help steady me. We turned our heads, and caught sight of Angeline leading Jill out through the door in the back. I looked down at the unconscious man, and frowned. We needed a way to restrain him until we called guardians to come and deal with him. In Latte, I had some cable ties which would probably work as handcuffs until back-up got here.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the room Eddie occupied. Adrian and I raced back to check on him, and we found the large man lying on the floor, out cold. Lia, however, was standing on the far side of the room, a gun pointed at Eddie. Eddie, too, held a gun.

Before I reacted, Adrian came to life, and sprang forward to shove Lia violently, pinning her against the wall, knocking the gun from her hand. I quickly picked it up and stuffed it in my purse.

Adrian loosened his hold only enough to force her to turn and face him. She squirmed furiously, but her efforts were in vain.

"Damn Adrian, be a bit reckless, why don't you?" Eddie said.

"Stop moving," Adrian told Lia, his voice having taken on a strange edge. Lia stopped struggling against him, his tone having convinced her that he was serious.

"Now," he said quietly, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Eddie went to stand behind him, in a defensive posture.

"I would listen to him," Eddie advised Lia, his voice low.

"What do you know about Jill?" I asked her fiercely, joining the two men.

Lia turned her head to me, looking not all that surprised to see me. "She's a great model."

Adrian jerked her gaze back to him and she gasped. "Wrong answer," he told her quietly. _"What do you know about Jill?"_

Something in Lia's eyes glazed over, and I recognized the sign of someone begin compelled. I fought the urge to take a step back, my old fears of the compulsion returning. It was different to make someone blind temporarily but to take away their own freedom of thought…I couldn't condone that.

"She's valuable," Lia said, her voice sounding far away. "She's worth a lot of money to someone."

Eddie made a low noise in the back of his throat. "Who offered you money?" He demanded.

"Tell him, or I swear I will make this a lot less pleasant for you," Adrian hissed, his voice sending goose bumps across my skin.

Lia broke from the compulsion for a moment, having turned her gaze to Eddie when he'd spoken. "Just how do you plan to do that?" Lia snapped.

Adrian forced her to look into his eyes, and then spoke to her, his voice low and compelling, silky and dark. He sounded so unlike the usual Adrian, I nearly pulled him back. "I've got a knife. Too your throat. I just slid it across your skin."

She screamed then, slamming her eyes shut in pain, as though there really was a knife at her throat.

"Now," Adrian said, his voice strangely upbeat, "who offered you money?"

"I don't know his name; I've never actually seen him," she said, her voice shaking.

"Liar, liar pants on fire," Adrian said in a singsong voice, though his tone wasn't light or playful. It was dark and somehow sinister.

"Adrian," Eddie and I said in unison, in the same worried tone.

"The knife is closer to your neck now," Adrian continued, as though he and Lia were alone in the room. "Now I've cut you again . . . deeper this time."

She screamed, louder than before. "Please, please," she begged. "I'm not lying! I don't know his name. He offered me money if I could get him the Jillian girl from the magazine!"

"I don't believe you," Adrian said, his tone still menacing.

"Adrian," I called, more intense than before. "Let her go. She's telling the truth."

He didn't seem to hear me. Lia screamed again, and I wondered if he had found a way to compel her without saying the words aloud. Eddie pulled Adrian away, restraining Lia as he did, and she sank to the floor, clutching her temples and crying.

I rushed over to grab Adrian, who was trying to go back to torturing Lia.

"Stop it," I told him. "Stop it."

He continued to struggle, his eyes blazing as he stared at her. "No. She hasn't answered enough questions. We need to know more."

Adrian was much larger than I, and restraining him was possible only because, even as he obviously struggled against his unseen demons, he could not bring himself to hurt me.

"Adrian," I said, pleading, "let it go. Let the magic go. You don't want to do this. It's wrong."

He stopped struggling for a moment and looked at me, but his expression was unnervingly vacant. "Things are always wrong, according to you," he said. "That's what you're going to tell me later about the kiss. It's wrong, Adrian," he said, talking more to himself than to me. "It's always wrong. Everything is. What's the point of even trying to be right?"

Since he was no longer struggling, I led him out of the room, leaving Eddie to deal with Lia, now that he had the upper hand. Adrian and I exited out of the back door. Angeline was sitting with Jill on a couple of concrete steps, and Jill sprang up, looking worriedly at Adrian. I gave her a once over, not seeing any signs of harm.

She walked up to Adrian, her concern only for him, despite what she'd just been through. "He used too much magic," she said. "His head's pounding. He's . . . confused."

Adrian moved away from me to get a better look at Jill. His eyes briefly returned to normal, the insanity having abated slightly. "Thank God you're okay Jailbait," he breathed. He swayed, unsteady on his feet, then sighed. "Damn, I need to sit down." He moved clumsily to his Mustang and sat on the hood. Normally, I would've chastised him for committing such an offense, but I couldn't find it in myself to do it tonight. I was too worried about him.

"It's maddening," Jill whispered beside me, the sound of her voice nearly making me jump. Her eyes glazed over and she stared at me, an accusing look on her face. "Do you understand, Sydney? Do you understand what goes on inside of his head?"

Angeline stood up and placed a hand on Jill's shoulder. "Hey, don't you start letting it affect you . . . whatever it . . . is . . ." Angeline didn't know very much about spirit magic.

"It's darkness. All around me. Everything's dark. It's the darkness . . ." Jill muttered.

I glanced at Adrian worriedly. He was still sitting on the hood of his mustang, his head hanging low. I wanted nothing more than to run to him and offer him comfort, but I couldn't. I couldn't let Jill become a victim of the darkness, too.

Coming through the door, Eddie approached us. "Back-up should be here soon. I've got Lia and the two men restrained." He took one look at Jill, and his face transformed, as the warrior bravado fell away. His eyes widened in alarm. "What's going on?"

"What isn't going on, Eddie?" Jill asked softly, eyeing him in a way that was disturbing. "They tried to hurt me, you know. They put a gun to my head."

Eddie flinched. "I know. And they'll pay for it. Dearly, I assure you."

"Something's wrong with her," Angeline said.

"It's the darkness. From Adrian. It's getting to her," I explained.

Eddie took her shoulders in his hands. "Jill, stay with me," he told her insistently.

"Sydney," Jill said, an odd note in her voice. "I need Sydney." She blinked rapidly and she suddenly seemed to return to her senses. She turned to look at me. "Adrian wants you, but he won't ask for you. He won't admit that he needs you."

I had wanted to run to his side the entire time we'd been here, but I had fought the impulse. Jill was the one who had been held at gun-point.

Eddie looked at me. "Go. Get him away from here. I'll deal with Jill. You do whatever it is you need to do with Adrian."

I nodded, telling him to call me if he needed me for anything. I had to restrain myself from running to where Adrian sat on his car. When I reached him, I pulled back, trying to appear calm.

"Sage," he murmured. "What can I do for you?"

"Well for starters, you can hand me your keys. And get off of the car."

He did as I asked, staring at me, the look in his eyes pulling at my heart. He looked . . . lost. I resisted the urge to throw my arms around him, knowing that I had to be calm in order to help him settle down.

"Come on," I said. "Let's go for a ride in your car. I'm driving."

He didn't argue. He climbed in the passenger's side quietly. I pulled out on the road, and racked my brain for something to say.

"When do I get to take my Christmas present back to Amberwood and hang it on my wall?" I asked. "I think it would go nicely with the daring color scheme I've got."

He shook his head, smiling a smile that looked so forced it was a wonder he could speak. "No offense, but I highly doubt the color scheme in your room is daring in anyone's book."

"All the more reason I need your painting to hang up in there," I shot back, racking my brain for a better solution to this. I didn't really know where I was driving, so I just took the route to his apartment. When we were at a red-light, I slid on my identity-masking ring that I'd charmed hours ago; the last thing we needed right now was Simone. It was a long time before Adrian spoke again, and I let him try to deal with it on his own a little while. He's strong, I told myself. He'll be all right.

"Sydney?" Adrian murmured suddenly, his voice so quiet that I had to turn down the fan of the car's heater to hear him.

"Hmm?" I asked, taking a right turn off onto the road toward his apartment.

He fell silent, and I averted my eyes from the road for a moment, to find him staring at me. It was as if I was the only thing in his visual field, and I knew that the energy of his gaze would've knocked me over if I'd been standing.

Shaken, I pulled the car into a space near his apartment. "Come on," I told him. "We're going inside."

"You're staying?" He was surprised.

I returned his gaze, and with a strength of conviction that even I hadn't expected, I said, "Of course I am."

* * *

**Adrian's spirit magic is actually tough for me to write. It took quite a few tries. Once again, I love and appreciate every single one of your reviews!**


	19. Chapter 19 Secret Hero

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Secret Hero**

Adrian and I entered his apartment, all the lights still on from when he'd left earlier today. I closed the door softly behind us, and the full impact of the task ahead of me began to surface. How was I supposed to help him? He usually relied on alcohol to numb the spirit's effects. He'd been trying not to drink as much, and I didn't want to encourage him to do differently. I knew that some spirit users took anti-depressants, but I knew Adrian didn't have any.

He didn't need anything, I decided. He was strong enough on his own. I believed he was; he was the one who didn't believe in his own strength. He was his own worst enemy.

He made his way back to his bedroom awkwardly, unsteady on his feet. I did my best to help him as he half-threw himself down onto the bed. Lying on his back, he stared blankly at the ceiling, his jaw clenched. I debated whether to turn on the lamp beside his bed, eventually deciding against it. Ignoring the protests in my head, I climbed onto the bed beside him and laid down.

"You should leave," he told me, emotionlessly, without taking his eyes off the ceiling.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said sternly.

"Sometimes I want to give up," he admitted suddenly.

"Don't talk like that," I said. "There's always a way to make things better."

"Not with the magic, Sage. No matter what I do, it's always there. No matter how hard I fight it. The darkness always comes back for me. It never goes away completely."

"You could try anti-depressants," I suggested quietly.

"And be even more useless than I am now? No, I'll take the darkness and probable descent to insanity over that, thank you," he said.

"You're not useless! You're far from it!" I didn't like it when he belittled himself. I had once believed it was self-pity, but now, knowing him as I did, I knew that wasn't it. He truly didn't believe in himself, because so many other people hadn't ever had any faith in him. He'd been better lately, but the darkness was drawing out some of the old demons, the ones that I couldn't bear to see.

"Maybe I am now. But if I take anti-depressants I won't be."

I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Lissa took them for a while once; I think she's started taking them again. But they cut you off from your magic. They lessen the darkness, sure, but what good is that if someone I care about gets hurt and I can't even try to help them?"

"Adrian-" I began.

He sat up and faced me, reaching out and putting his hands on my shoulders. I froze.

"Do you have any idea how much I would hate myself if Simone hurt you, and I wasn't able to help – I couldn't even try to heal you?" His voice rose in volume with each word. He was so close to me now, so close that I could've leaned forward slightly and our foreheads would have touched.

"That would not be a reason to hate yourself," I said finally. "You can't control Simone." No one can, I thought. "You can't protect me from everything," I said more softly.

"I wouldn't be able to protect you from _anything,_" he snarled. "If I didn't have my magic, I'd be wasting the ability to help you, to help Castile, to help Jill, to help Angeline, hell to help everyone. I might not be able to fight like Castile, but I can at least put people back together when they're finished." He took a deep breath after he finished, trying to calm himself down. His eyes were half-wild in the darkness, his body tense with energy and passion.

"Adrian," I said gently, "you don't have to take the pills then. We'll find another way to beat the darkness." I made a mental note to research another work-around. I understood his fear of feeling helpless, of feeling useless; for a long time I'd shared it. It suddenly occurred to me that quitting my magic entirely would be difficult, and I tried not to think about it.

Adrian sighed wearily. "Dammit Sydney, I don't want you to see me like this," he finally admitted, again leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and opened them again, like he was trying to shake something out of his head. "Please leave," he said, though when he finally turned to face me again, his eyes seemed to be begging me to stay.

I rolled over on my side to look at him. "Stop," I said softly. "I'm not leaving you."

"Why?" He asked, his eyes glazing over slightly. "Everyone does. That's human nature. As soon as things get rough, we leave, and don't come back until things are better again. We run from our problems. The only difference is how we run from them. Some of us simply convince ourselves they aren't there, some of us drink, and some of us just always answer the question 'are you okay' with 'I'm fine', clinging to the hope that if we say those words enough, eventually they'll be true."

I listened to his strangely wise words, some of them hitting disconcertingly close to home. "That's true," I admitted. "But problems can be a good thing. If we had no problems or anything bad in our lives, we wouldn't be able to appreciate all of the good things we have." Adrian was watching me, studying me. I continued, trying to ignore how close his body was to mine.

"Like . . . everything that's been going on with me lately. I hate that maybe the Alchemists aren't as righteous of an organization as I'd like to think, and I hate what they would think of me if they knew what I was. But at the same time, if I'd never become an Alchemist, I'd be missing out on a lot too."

Adrian raised his eyebrows. "Meetings and balancing chemical equations?"

"If I'd never been an Alchemist, then I wouldn't have met you. And I wouldn't trade meeting you for anything." The words rolled off of my tongue effortlessly, yet once they were out, a part of me would've given anything to take them back. I felt exposed and open. Yet, the unfamiliar feeling was as uplifting as it was frightening. A part of me felt relieved to say what I'd said, relieved that he finally knew why I'd helped him find his mother, why I'd been worried about him getting hurt, why I'd kissed him.

He watched me, the glaze in his emerald eyes fading. "Aren't you going to elaborate on what that means?" He asked, echoing my words from a while ago.

"I don't think I need to," I whispered pointedly.

His eyes widened and I scooted closer, relishing in his warmth. We were lying face to face, and I reached down to grab his hand. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked. He knew I was referring back to the magic.

He shook his head. "You've done enough." His voice, though quiet, sounded strong enough to be considered stable. The magic was still bothering him, but it seemed to have died down considerably.

He reached out with his free hand and brushed some of hair back from my face. "What is it about you? You always pull me back down to earth." He whispered. "If I stopped fighting for my sanity, it would mean I would have to give you up too. And I couldn't bear that."

I didn't have anything to say in response to his elegant words. My head wanted to fight them, to work not to hear them, but my heart said it would replay them over and over again, until it didn't beat anymore.

A smirky smile began to form on his lips. "You kissed me earlier, you know."

I nearly groaned. "Yes, I'm well aware."

His smile widened, his mood increasing at a rapid rate. "Because you haven't been able to stop thinking about it since?"

I wasn't going to feed into his antics. "No," I said glibly.

He eyed something above my head, leaning closer to my face. "I wouldn't be opposed to you doing it again." He lifted a hand and lightly ran it down my side, stopping just above my hip. My breathing hitched.

"What are you going to do?" He asked suddenly, his tone turning more serious. "More importantly, what are the _Alchemists _going to do if they find out what you are?"

"Burn me at the stake," I told him dryly. "Or drown me."

"Not funny Sage."

"I wasn't trying to be," I admitted. "I don't really know what they'd do. Marcus is the only other Alchemist, well, ex-Alchemist that has ever had the magic. And he left."

"Is the magic part of why he left too? I mean, I know he was also in love with a vampire . . ."

"Well, yeah, maybe. I've never asked him."

"Why not?" Adrian asked, looking almost irritated. "I'm not the guy's biggest fan or anything, but he does know some stuff. Don't write him off."

"I thought you didn't trust him." I also thought back to Eddie and Angeline, having said they didn't either in the car earlier.

Adrian sighed. "I don't, Sage, not completely. But I'll admit, he cares about you. I can see it in his aura. He might not be trustworthy yet, but he's not a threat. Not to you at least." He paused, considering something. "It's weird . . . sometimes I see this darker pink color in his aura when he looks at you . . ."

I frowned in the darkness. "What does dark pink mean?"

"I've seen it in people who feel remorse or guilt over something."

"That doesn't make sense . . ." I said.

Adrian shrugged in the darkness. "It's probably nothing. His aura's yellow otherwise."

"Fitting," I muttered.

"Sage, really though. I don't want to press uncomfortable subjects, but why the hell does Marcus carry a gun? I mean, he just left the Alchemists. Being an Alchemist is like any other job right? Well, besides the chemical crap, tattoos, and daily interaction with vampires. I mean, you quit it, and you're gone."

I normally would've laughed at his definition of a job, but I couldn't because in that moment, as I watched the concern etched on his face, I realized something.

Though I'd stressed to Adrian that human and vampires couldn't be together, I'd never said that it was for any other reason than my beliefs. He merely thought the Alchemists would disown me. He had absolutely no idea the seriousness of having feelings for a vampire, or the seriousness of the consequences. I couldn't believe that had never occurred to me, and I hung my head. No wonder he had been so frustrated about me not being able to figure out my feelings. In his eyes, I was only staying away from him because society viewed a relationship between us as wrong.

Or did he know it was more than that? I thought back to his words, when we'd met for lunch a few weeks ago, at Spencer's. Also, studying his face now, I saw a knowing glint in his deep eyes, that suggested he was playing it cool to seem like he wasn't fishing for answers.

"Remember at Spencer's, you said that you weren't going to make me tell you what was up, but when I did, you'd listen?"

His hand, which had been toying with the edge of my blazer relaxed. "I do."

I took a deep breath. "Well, the Alchemists don't take one of their own having feelings for a vampire lightly. They don't even tolerate any of us seeing vampires as people. Considering your kind as anything more than monsters, is seen as treason, and is treated as such."

Adrian's jaw clenched and he shook his head. "That's messed up, Sage. It's really messed up. I've been called a lot of things in my life-my Dad's quite inventive-but I've _never_ been called a monster. I mean, hell, the Alchemists don't even know me. They don't know _any _of us. How is it fair for us to be deemed monsters if they've never even spoken to us?" His green eyes flashed, alight with fury, and yes passion. Though his anger was intimidating, I loved glimpses of the Adrian he hid from everyone else. This was the Adrian that cared deeply, the Adrian that fought, the Adrian that would someday be a hero. And though I wanted everyone to see how wonderful of a man he was, I would always cherish moments like this, when I was the only one that knew it.

"It's _not _fair," I told him, brushing a bit of his hair out of his face. "But it's what they believe."

He grew still. "Is it what _you_ believe?"

"Absolutely not," I told him sternly. "I believe that vampires and humans are different, but I don't believe that automatically makes vampires monsters; I don't believe it automatically makes humans saints."

He relaxed again, and seemed to be thinking about something. "When you say it's treated like treason, what do you mean? What do they do to Alchemists that get too close to us?"

I averted my eyes. "We're dealt with."

"Sydney," he warned. "Don't shut down on me now. Talk."

I sighed, and met his eyes again. "The place they take us is called a Re-education center."

He frowned. "Is that like boarding school to teach you how to hate vampires?" He used a lofty, professional voice that reminded me oddly of Ms. Weathers during his next words. "Lesson one: When the evil creature of darkness approaches you, remember that he craves your blood, and that you must keep a five-feet distance between him and yourself at all times."

I smiled, though I knew it didn't touch my eyes. "Most Alchemists prefer at least ten feet of distance but no, it's not a school. It's a torture chamber. They torture us until we believe vampires are evil."

Adrian's hold on me tightened. "How the hell are they a 'righteous organization' if they _torture _their own people? That's not righteous. That's sick. And wrong. How are they even allowed to do that? That's illegal in the Moroi government! Hell, torturing people because they feel a certain way is illegal in the US Constitution!" He frowned. "I know that I and I slept through U.S. History."

"Calm down," I said. "No need to shout. I'm right here."

Adrian eyes shone in the dark room. "You've got to get away from them, Sydney. It's not safe."

I hung my head. "I can't."

"Marcus did it. You can do it."

I gave a harsh laugh. "No, I can't. The whole reason I'm an Alchemist is to keep my little sister from having to do it. If I run, she'll be stuck in this life, and she won't have powerful enough magic to escape. She'll be trapped forever. And I won't do that to Zoe."

Adrian's face softened, but his voice stayed firm. "Sometimes you have to put yourself first, Sage."

"That's true, but I can't do this to Zoe. She's young. She has her whole life ahead of her, a life full of choices, and college, and anything else she wants. I don't deserve it any more than she does, so I won't take it from her."

"You don't deserve it any less either," he said severely.

For some reason tears sprung in my eyes. "It doesn't matter."

"So that's it? You're just going to spend your life working for people that would hate you if they knew what and who you really are? You can't hide everything forever. They'll find out."

I shook my head, gazing at the ceiling, trying to blink back tears. "I know, Adrian, I know, okay? Just let it go please."

He wrapped an arm around me and gently placed a hand on my chin, forcing me to face him. "I just want you to be happy. And you're never going to be happy being an Alchemist; not because you care for vampires or because you're a witch. You'll never be happy being an Alchemist because you're a good person, a kind person. You have too good of a heart to blindly hate people."

"I'm not a saint," I said, thinking of what I'd had done to Keith. "I hate people, just like everyone else."

"You hate people who hurt others for no reason. You don't hate people because a bunch of bastards tell you too; that takes ignorance. You're not only too kind to be an Alchemist, you're too smart. Use your brain for something besides hatred. Study architecture. Fly to Rome and become a modern day hetaera."

"A modern day prostitute?" I interjected.

He frowned. "Okay, that didn't come out right." He paused. "Although, if you ever were a prostitute, I'd certainly be a frequent customer. I'd never leave you alone."

"Adrian," I scolded in the darkness.

He laughed. "Kidding. Kind of."

I sighed, and leaned further into his chest, taking in the scent of his intoxicating cologne. "I don't want to talk about the Alchemists anymore tonight, okay?" I looked up at him. "You want me to be happy? Well, I want to be too, even if it's just for a little while."

He sighed, and seemed to give in. "Thank you," he said suddenly.

"For what?"

"For helping me get out of Crazyville earlier. It's an interesting vacation spot but I don't want to live there permanently."

I laughed at this, feeling my eyes begin to droop. "You're welcome." I felt him move next to me, and he pulled the covers up over us a little bit.

"The sheets are really nice material," he said, almost proudly. "You could probably tell me the thread-count."

"1500 count since they're satin," I informed him, yawning.

"Satin's sexy."

"Uh huh," I mumbled sleepily, feeling Adrian's chuckle underneath me.

"Goodnight, Sydney," he whispered. Those were the last words I heard him say, and for the first time in weeks, I drifted to sleep feeling safe.

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**This chapter has been one I've had planned out for a while, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as enjoyed writing it. (:**


	20. Chapter 20 Close Call

**Chapter Twenty**

**Close Call**

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of a cell phone ringing. My eyes flew open, and I heard a loud, low, groan that nearly made me jump. As I turned to my left, Adrian watched me, rubbing his eyes, smiling.

"This is the first time I've ever woken up next to a woman in khakis," he said.

I reached down to the floor for my still ringing cell phone, and somehow managed to stuff a pillow on Adrian's face to muffle his laughter behind me.

"Hello?" I asked, still trying to wake up. I scowled at Adrian, who had removed the pillow, and was grinning at me like a Cheshire cat.

"Ms. Sage, would you care to inform us on the events of last night?" Stanton's voice rang through the other end of my cell phone, and my good mood plummeted. Adrian detected my change of mood and leaned closer to listen.

I tried to think of a quick response to give Stanton. I hadn't called her to tell her about Jill, because I'd been concerned about Adrian. In fact, I was a bit irritated she already sounded so cross. Jill was safe, that was what mattered.

_To a rational person, not to the Alchemists,_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Marcus whispered in my head.

_Shut up,_ I told it.

"One of the Dragomir girl's guardians called and requested our help, at a fashion store last night. There were three humans there that needed to be dealt with. This guardian was under the impression you had already called us."

"Dammit Castile," Adrian muttered beside me.

I felt myself paling. "I planned to call you first thing this morning ma'am. I had other business I had to attend too."

"Other business that is more important than keeping the Dragomir girl safe, and prosecuting those who endanger her safety?"

"She needs to chill out," Adrian grumbled. "Over-bearing bi-"

I put a hand over Adrian's moth and sighed, knowing that telling Stanton to "chill out" would not get me anywhere. "I'm deeply sorry ma'am. Things were immensely hectic last night, though that certainly does not excuse me not notifying you until now. It won't happen again." I removed my hand from Adrian's mouth when I was sure he'd stay silent.

Stanton sighed over the phone. "I'm letting it go this once Ms. Sage, but only because you've handled all of the other things that have come up so well. Don't put me in this sort of bad situation again."

"I won't ma'am," I told her emotionlessly. I resisted the urge to push for more information on Marcus Finch, just to hear her flat out lie to me a little bit more.

She went on to inform me that Jill was fine to continue staying in Palm Springs and that the guardians were looking into finding who this mysterious man was that was offering money for her. They had narrowed it down to presumably be a royal, because of the amount of money that had been offered. Stanton did stress that we all needed to keep a better eye on Jill.

No sooner than just after Stanton and I bid goodbye, my phone rang a second time. I found myself wishing to repeat last night over and over again. Just for those brief moments in Adrian's arms, the world had slowed down. I didn't have to be an exemplary Alchemist or a powerful witch; I was only Sydney, an eighteen year-old girl, in the arms of someone she cared deeply about. It was odd that I felt the most normal, the most _human_, in the arms of a vampire.

"Hello?" I asked again.

"Ms. Melbourne, I trust you have a good reason as to why I saved you from Ms. Weather's wrath this morning. She informed me that you had not been to your dorm all night. I told her that you were helping me with something, and that I simply was scattered and forgot to call."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you ma'am. I was um . . . with my brother."

"Well, I need no more details on that matter."

I scowled at the way she made the word details sound.

"Would you be willing to meet me in my classroom in about an hour or so? Marcus is here, and has some information about . . . my sister."

Back to regular life and all of its problems I thought. It had been nice to forget about Simone and magical defense for a while, but I should've known I wouldn't be free from her wrath for long.

If I listened hard enough on the phone line, I could hear Marcus protesting vehemently about something in the background. Whatever he was fussing about, Ms. Terwilliger was ignoring him.

"I'll be there, ma'am," I told her, actually looking a bit forward to it. Whatever had Marcus up in arms was guaranteed to be entertaining, especially since it didn't sound like Ms. Terwilliger seemed to care. I just hoped whatever he was upset about wasn't going to rattle me too.

She and I disconnected, and I turned to look at Adrian, who had fallen back on the bed, with a pillow over his face.

I sighed, and pulled the pillow away from his face. His eyes remained closed, but a smile formed on his lips.

"Adrian," I said, trying to sound disapproving, but failing.

"Shhh. He's asleep," he told me.

"Adrian," I said again.

He opened his eyes and sat up, looking me over. "You need a ride, correct?"

I smiled and nodded.

He sighed tiredly. "Okay, but first . . ."

He stood up and walked over to his dresser, and took out a long sleeved burgundy shirt. Then he pulled his current shirt over his head. My protest died on my lips as I eyed the broadness of his shoulders, and the light muscles on his abdomen. A couple of the muscles in his back tightened as he removed his shirt; I was pretty sure it was his trapezius and his deltoid I could see clenching.

Regardless of whatever muscles they were, it was oddly . . . attractive. I couldn't help but admire him, despite my best efforts. He seemed to realize this, and the cocky smile he gave went a long way in diminishing my haze.

"I can drive you back shirtless, if you want. But we'll probably need to stop by a drug store to get some sunscreen," he said. "Also, it might attract a bit of attention, and I'm not just saying that because the sight's dazzling. I'm saying that because I'm your brother."

Color filled my cheeks, and I crossed my arms. "Just finish getting dressed."

He chuckled and slid on the burgundy shirt. I took a deep breath, and tried to shake off any thoughts related to what I'd just seen.

Before Adrian and I left his room, I gently grabbed the painting from the easel in the corner.

"You're really going to hang it up in your dorm?" He asked, looking kind of surprised.

"I said I was, didn't I?" I asked.

He nodded, seeming a bit dazed. He shook it off and grabbed his keys. I turned off all of the lights on the way out of his apartment which seemed to amuse him. On our way down to his car, a couple of Adrian's neighbors eyed us oddly.

"Oh Lord," I said. "I'm wearing the same clothes as I was last night."

Adrian gave me a small smile. "You look so horrified."

"I don't want anyone to think badly of me."

He laughed, and led me to the car. I climbed inside and automatically felt the smooth leather interior. As he pulled out onto the road, I slipped on my charmed ring, to hide my identity.

Adrian and I made small talk most of the way back to Amberwood, my thoughts having drifted back to the impending problem that was Simone and the now shaky ground I was on with the Alchemists. I didn't regret admitting a good deal to Adrian last night, but I couldn't stop hearing his words over and over again inside of my head.

_"How is it fair for us to be deemed monsters if they've never even spoken to us?"_

_"How the hell are they a 'righteous organization' if they torture their own people?"_

_You're not only too kind to be an Alchemist, you're too smart. Use your brain for something besides hatred._

I leaned my head against the glass of the window, staring out at the passing cars. Everyone always told me how intelligent I was, yet there was one question I could not answer.

What was I ever going to do?

As we pulled up to a red-light, the woman in the car next to us turned to look at me. When she did, it took every ounce of self-control I had not to freeze in fright. There, only about three feet from me, was Ms. Terwilliger's sister, Simone.

I recognized her pretty face from the picture; she had the same long dark hair, which fanned out behind her from the breeze. She was driving a sleek, black Corvette convertible, a car I envied. She stared at me for a moment longer than necessary, and I tried my best not to appear alarmed, or to flinch; it was like she could see through my soul. A cold, cold chill ran through me while her icy, aquiline eyes surveyed me. She didn't appear to find anything suspicious, and she turned her eyes back to the road.

When the red-light changed, she took a sharp right turn in the opposite direction Adrian and I were going. I could finally breathe again, and my hands were shaking.

"Sage?" Adrian asked, putting a hand on my arm. "What is it?"

"That woman back there, at the red-light. Did you see her?"

"No, I was too busy worrying about what was going on with you. What about her?"

"Simone," I breathed. "That was her."

Adrian paled and looked down at my fingers, seeing my ring. "She didn't recognize you, did she?"

"No, I don't think that she did," I said. I took another deep breath. "Thank God I thought to charm this ring I whispered." I looked over to Adrian. "What if I hadn't?"

"You did, that's what matters," he stated calmly, trying to reassure me. I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself, finding comfort in the fact I'd be learning more defensive magic soon. A renewed desire to fight burned inside of me, having seen the woman that wanted to take everything I loved away from me. I hated the fear she'd invoked in me; I hated _her._ Who was she to go around killing people for power?

She was someone that needed to be stopped, I decided. She was nothing more than that. And when she was stopped, well, there would be a special place in hell waiting for her.

When we reached Amberwood, I was stunned at the sight before me. Eddie, Jill, Angeline, and Marcus were all seated together, under a large tree. Marcus was talking to them about something, and the three of them were listening intently.

"What is he doing?" I asked, Adrian, fearing the worst. I half-jumped out of the car. I slid my ring off of my finger.

"Hell if I know," Adrian grumbled. He stopped me from rushing over to the group, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you going to tell him and the rest of your witchy friends who we saw?"

I nodded. "Definitely. She lives in Los Angeles. She shouldn't be in Palm Springs . . ."

Adrian held my gaze for a moment, looking uneasy. "Thanks again, Sage. For last night. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there."

I placed my hand over his, which was still resting on my shoulder. "You would've beaten the darkness on your own," I told him simply.

He smiled, and shook his head at me. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd-"

Adrian stopped, as Trey walked by us.

"Melbourne," Trey did that "sup" head motion I saw so many guys do to each other. Adrian did the same irksome head motion back. I stepped back from him, and waved at Trey.

"Where are you going?" I asked him, noticing his workout clothes. Football season was over for the time-being.

"On a jog," he told me, looking back and forth between me and Adrian suspiciously. He bid us goodbye, shooting me one last disconcerted look.

I turned back to Adrian. "We've got to be more-"

I paused mid-sentence, something over his shoulder catching my eye. Marcus had his head tilted back towards the sky, and a few fallen leaves were continuously circling around him. Eddie and Angeline looked shocked, and Jill looked entertained.

I raced over to the group and shook Marcus' shoulders from behind.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. How dare he casually use magic in front of my friends?

Adrian caught up, and took in the scene, taking a stance beside me. Marcus lifted himself up from the grass and crossed his arms, looking down at me.

"Hello to you too," he said. He gave Adrian a polite nod and then returned his attention to me.

"I didn't say hello, I asked you what you were doing!"

"Magic." He shrugged.

I looked at him incredulously, shaking my head.

Marcus gave me a tired sigh. "Oh relax, they all already know that you're a-"

"No! Stop!" I hissed.

Jill stood up now. "He wasn't doing anything wrong."

Eddie stood up too, along with Angeline. "Yeah," Eddie said harshly, "he was just telling us everything you haven't been."

I froze and then shook my head at the ex-Alchemist. "You didn't," I said evenly.

"I had to," Marcus replied. "I was going to let you make the decision on when to fill everyone in about Simone, but I've given you long enough. It became clear to me; you weren't ever going to tell them. You're worried they're going to get caught up in it."

Adrian tensed beside me. "You don't _let_ her make decisions, last time I checked," he snapped.

Marcus turned to Adrian, looking tired. "Stop playing knight in shining armor for ten seconds and let me explain."

"You have no right to go behind my back and do something like that!" I growled at the ex-Alchemist.

Eddie crossed his arms. "I'm rather glad he told us."

"I had to Sydney," Marcus snapped back, brushing some blonde hair out his face.

"Not without talking to me about it first!" I argued.

Marcus strode toward me, and shoved a map he had been holding in my hands. "Look at the map," he ordered. On it, I saw a trail of blood moving. He'd used the same spell I had to track Jill last night.

"Do you see where she's at?" Marcus continued. "Simone is in Palm Springs, _not _Los Angeles. She's getting closer and closer. If you're not careful she'll attack one of your friends and use them as bait to get you. I've spent my entire morning putting up defensive borders around every single one of your friend's dorms. I had to explain to them what I was doing. I would've let you do it, but you weren't here."

"I know Simone's here," I said.

"Sage saw her at a red-light," Adrian elaborated. "But Sage had a charm on, so Simone didn't recognize her."

Marcus shook his head. "Thank God you had that charm on." He grabbed my arm. "Come on, we're going to go work on some spells right now."

I pulled away from his grip. "No. You don't tell me what to do." Eddie, Angeline, and Jill looked like they were growing uncomfortable. Adrian was eyeing something just above Marcus' head and my own. He was studying our auras, I realized.

"Sage, he's just trying to help," he said, not taking his eyes off of our auras. Since when had he become Marcus' advocate?

Marcus looked a bit surprised that Adrian was taking his side too. "He's right," Marcus told me, facing me again. "I am only trying to help you."

"Why?" I asked.

Marcus sighed. "Just come with me, please? Then you can kick, scream, and throw as much of a fit as you want."

I crossed my arms, still angry at him for going behind my back like he had. I was about to refuse and tell him I'd prefer to work on my own when I met his eyes. Their dark blue depths were wide, and pleading, and once again haunting. I didn't know why they always struck me the way they did, but for some reason, they made me give in.

"All right," I muttered. I turned back to Adrian. "Will you explain everything to them?" I asked him. I knew he would be able to calm Eddie and Angeline down. Jill appeared unfazed by everything, probably because she'd already known through the bond.

"You got it," Adrian assured me. "I'm a great storyteller."

Marcus chuckled behind me. "I'm sure his version will be much more entertaining than mine."

I sighed, and gave the gang one last look before heading to Ms. Terwilliger's classroom with Marcus. In the back of my mind, the image of Simone burned, making my chest feel heavy. Marcus was right. She was getting closer and closer. Fear coiled at the pit of my stomach, because I knew that eventually, she and I were going to meet. The only thing I could do was be prepared when we did.

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**As always, I love reading your reviews!**


	21. Chapter 21 Collateral Damage

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Collateral Damage**

I'd insisted on changing clothes and taking a shower before I got to work on my magic, and Marcus had waved me off, grudgingly obliging. After my shower I changed into dark washed jeans and a black cashmere sweater.

"Why do you think she's suddenly in Palm Springs?" I asked Ms. Terwilliger and Marcus, when I'd arrived in Ms. Terwilliger's classroom. She was watching the map Marcus had just given her, a worried look on her face. Marcus hopped up one of the desks across from me, giving me a resigned look.

"I wish we knew." He hung his head and took a deep breath.

"Do you think she's ever going to . . . give up? I mean, I can't be the only powerful witch out there. Maybe she'll find someone else." It was a selfish sounding thing to say, because no one deserved to be hunted down and killed, obviously. But I couldn't help but hope that she'd find another subject. It was mere human nature. It would certainly be easier to stop her, if I wasn't the one she was hunting.

Marcus and Ms. Terwilliger exchanged rueful smiles, and Marcus sighed, looking much older than someone in his early twenties. "We could go talk to Alex, and see if he'll spill anything about why she's suddenly in Palm Springs."

Ms. Terwilliger nodded, not taking her eyes off of the tracking spell. "That sounds like a good idea. Why don't you two go do that? I'll work more on trying to figure out what she's up too at this moment. Kate's going to come over in a few minutes to work with me."

"Who's Alex?" I asked, getting up from my chair.

"Wolfe's unfortunate captive," Ms. Terwilliger informed me, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "The one who paid your 'brother's' apartment a visit."

"Oh. He's still being held captive?" It had been nearly four days.

Marcus gave me a dry look. "You didn't think Wolfe was just going to free him, did you?"

I didn't have a response to that.

"Oh," Marcus said suddenly, starting to make his way toward Ms. Terwilliger's storage room, "let me get something real quick." He closed the door behind him, and I turned to Ms. Terwilliger.

"Do you think we can beat her, ma'am?" I asked uneasily. "Simone, I mean." I knew that Ms. Terwilliger, despite her sometimes scattered nature would be honest with me.

She took her glasses off for a moment and rubbed her eyes which appeared to be very tired. "I hope so, Ms. Melbourne. I hope so."

Marcus came out of the storage room then, a squirt bottle in his hands. He began to nudge me toward the door, and we bid Ms. Terwilliger goodbye. I met her eyes one last time before the classroom door shut behind me, and felt guilty for once being so obstinate to her teachings.

Marcus and I headed behind Amberwood's football field where he was parked. I slid my ring on, and climbed into the passenger side of his silver Jaguar. We rode in silence for a little while, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Mine were on the Alchemists, despite all of the Simone drama. I couldn't help but feel guilty for having let Stanton down, even though the circumstances had been dire. At the same time, I couldn't help but feel it was ridiculous for them be so angry with me for hiding information from them, when they still hadn't said a word about Marcus.

"You're quiet," Marcus observed, turning off onto the highway that led out into the desert. "I haven't even mentioned the Alchemists yet. It's a little early to start ignoring me."

"I've just got a lot on my mind."

This didn't seem to surprise him. "Jackie didn't look good today."

"She didn't," I agreed. "The magic must really be taking a lot out of her."

"That's certainly part of it."

"Part of it?"

Marcus sighed. "Simone _is_ evil, but I think it's still hard for Jackie to sit with a bunch of people and constantly try to plan out her sister's demise. Despite Simone's flaws, she's still . . . family."

A pang of sympathy for my history teacher shot through me. "That would be awfully hard. I don't know what I'd do if any of my sisters lost themselves in the magic like that."

Marcus nodded. "Turning your back on the people that you've grown up with is a hard thing to do."

I glanced over to him. "Do you ever talk to your . . . adopted family anymore?" He had mentioned being adopted once, and I knew from his file that he'd been raised by Keith's parents. When Marcus had been sent to Re-education, Keith had taken his place as the Alchemist. It was odd the two had grown up in the same household but appeared to be so different.

Marcus shook his head. "No . . . I probably could find some way to reach my mother, but I haven't tried."

"Are you worried she'll come looking for you or something?" I knew Jamie would probably come looking for me.

"No . . . not exactly," he said uneasily. "To be honest, well, I'm a little afraid if I as much hear her voice I'll want to go back home. And I can't do that." It was one of the most sentimental things Marcus had ever admitted to me. He didn't admit feelings of any nature very often.

"Do you ever miss it?"

He didn't take his eyes off of the road. "Being an Alchemist? No, I don't miss _that_ at all. But having a home? Sometimes I miss that I guess." He paused. "Although, it's nice being able to choose where I live," he added, and if I wasn't imagining thinks, the harshness in his tone _almost_ sounded forced.

I frowned. "Have you never settled down anywhere?" I asked him. "What have you been doing the past few years?"

"Running," Marcus said flatly. "I've traveled, seen the world. It gets old after a little while, to some people I guess. But In the end, I know I made the right decision. It's better to be a captive of your own guilt than it is to be someone's puppet. At least I'm free."

He didn't sound very free, I thought. Being free seemed like it should be a blissful feeling, an empowering feeling. When I imagined freedom – and I did a lot – I didn't associate guilt with the word.

Marcus might have been free from the Alchemists, I realized, but what good was that if he would never be free from himself?

He pulled into Wolfe's gravel driveway, and I stared at the old looking house, and its garage where I'd taken self-defense classes with Adrian. A warm feeling spread over me followed by a sad feeling. I missed those days, back before everything had been so complicated. I missed those days, back before I'd had to know I was hurting him. I missed those days, back before I'd known that the one thing I wanted was the one thing I could never have.

"Sydney? You ready to go?" Marcus called my name, snapping me out of my thoughts. His face was hardened, in a sort of business like mask. I tried to hide my own dark feelings as I got out of the car.

Marcus surprised me by heading straight towards Wolfe's garage. Seeing my quizzical look, he explained that Wolfe wasn't home, and that his captive, Alex, was in the garage. Marcus still had the squirt bottle in his hands, and I asked him what it was.

"Holy water," he answered. "It'll burn Alex's skin."

I froze. "Would it burn mine?"

"It might sting a little, but not enough to where you couldn't handle it. Holy water only burns witches and warlocks that have given into dark magic in order to become powerful. That's the difference between the Crescents and the Full Moons. Full Moons are the ones that willingly hand themselves over to the darkness."

"But the holy water would still sting me?" I was absolutely horrified. "I'm a Christian!" I snapped incredulously.

"As am I," Marcus said. "But just because Adrian's a good vampire, doesn't mean that he can go sunbathing."

In a disturbing way it made sense, but it also further suggested I wasn't entirely human, which didn't help shake my dark thoughts. "Let's get this over with," I muttered.

Marcus said an incantation to unlock the garage door, and then he slowly pushed it open. The room was dark; I couldn't see anything. Marcus paused turning to me.

"Hold your hands out like this." He grabbed my hands and had me hold them a few inches out from my chest, my palms up. "Now, close your eyes and say, _incendo_."

I did as he instructed, and felt a surge a power flow through me. When I reopened my eyes, I saw that the lights in the garage were now on.

Marcus gave me a small smile. "Good. You're so much stronger. After we talk to Alex, I want to work on fire charms with you. Maybe even on some wind-bending."

Those sounded difficult, but now that I knew Simone was so close, I couldn't afford to be choosey. Something occurred to me. "If I do the same thing and say _decendo_, will it turn all of the lights off?"

His smile widened a bit. "I don't know. You can find out when we leave. Keep your ring on for this," he told me, seeing my gaze move down to my fingers.

I nodded, and we walked inside.

All of the self-defense equipment had been moved to the far wall of the room. There, in the center of the garage, was Alex. He was bound to a wooden chair, by what looked like iron chains. He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the night he'd attacked me and Adrian. His knee-the one Adrian had shot-was bandaged, though I was sure it was still causing him intense pain.

His head had been hanging, but he finally looked up, and I'd never seen someone look so hateful. "Finch," he hissed. He looked at me. "Who's your little friend?"

"Not important, Alex," Marcus said calmly, moving closer. I stayed where I was, still being cautious. "Don't worry," Marcus said to me. "He won't be doing anything. There are tons of curses on him to weaken his powers. He might as well not have any."

"Just wait until I get out of here," Alex snarled. "I'll kill you Finch, I don't care what Simone wants. I'll kill you and that Sydney girl myself."

Marcus raised the bottle of holy water, and squirted some on Alex's exposed skin. Where it made contact, a hot smoke rose up. Alex swore and let out a sound of pain.

Marcus' face was still composed, but his eyes were threatening, dangerous. Under the garage's cheap lighting, they almost appeared to be glowing. "Now, now," he told Alex. "Surely I'm not going to have to use this entire bottle of holy water on you to get you to talk. That would be painful for you, and a waste of perfectly good blessed water."

"Go to hell," Alex spat.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "It seems Simone's in Palm Springs now. What's she doing here? Is she onto us?"

Alex shook his head. "I'm not telling you anything."

Marcus squirted him again, and Alex cried out in pain.

"I've got a gallon of this stuff out in my car. It's been a few days since your last bath. If you want, I can give you one now," Marcus said evenly.

I didn't like watching anyone get tortured, but I tried to hide my discomfort because I knew that Alex had information that we needed.

"I don't know why she's here," Alex finally said. "She could be here for a lot of reasons."

"Like what?" I asked, working to make my voice sound authoritative.

Alex turned his head to me. "Who the hell are you?"

Marcus squirted Alex again. "She and I will ask the questions here."

"Her sister lives in Palm Springs, right?" Alex asked. "Maybe that's why she's there. Or maybe she just wanted to go shopping."

Marcus crossed his arms. "You're holding back, Alex," he growled. "Tell us what her plans are, and one day, you'll see the light of day again. Keep holding back, and I swear to God, you'll be begging for his mercy."

Alex gave a dark chuckle. "Simone doesn't tell anyone what her plans are; she's not stupid enough to trust people not to screw them up."

"So it wasn't because of Simone's orders that you attacked Sydney, it was just out of your own reckless stupidity?" I asked, harshly.

Alex snapped his head to me. "If I were you, I wouldn't be calling me stupid."

"If I were _you_, I wouldn't have gotten myself chained to a chair," I retorted.

Marcus chuckled. "Enough," he told me. He turned back to Alex. "What has Simone offered you if you work with her?"

Alex's face transformed into a sick grin. "Power. A piece of her power. When I get that, I'll be more powerful than even you Finch, and then, I'll kill you."

Marcus walked forward and dumped the last of the holy water on Alex. "I'll leave the gallon of this stuff for Wolfe," Marcus told the captive. "He'll be able to stomach your weakness longer than me."

Marcus began to nudge me to the door. "Come on. That's all we're going to get out of him."

I followed him out of the garage, but before he closed the door, I held out my hands and closer my eyes.

"_Decendo,_" I muttered. When I reopened my eyes, all of the light in the garage was gone.

"No one likes a show-off Sydney," Marcus told me wryly, finally closing the door. He took a look out at Wolfe's wide property. "Come on. Let's go behind the house. It's as good of a place as any to practice."

I started to speed walk there, but Marcus stopped me. "Wait," he said. "While you're walking, I want you to concentrate where you want to go."

"Okay . . ." I said, confused.

"While you do that, feel the air. Do you feel how dry and light it is?"

I nodded.

"Try to become one with it. Try to make yourself match the air. Does that make sense?"

"In an illogical way, yes," I muttered. I started walking forward, picturing my final destination as best as I could while trying to focus on what the air felt like. At first, I felt idiotic. But then, a few moments later, a rush of exhilaration hit me. It was like I was flying, but I knew my feet were on the ground. I took another step, and felt a rush of wind flow past me. I froze, the exhilarating feeling fading. In what felt like one step, I was behind Wolfe's house.

I turned to look at where I'd come from. Marcus was still on the other side of the property, staring after me.

"What was that?" I yelled to him. I was startled by it, reasonably so. I'd crossed an acre in about five seconds.

Marcus' shape grew a little blurry, and then he sped forward, with a speed faster than I'd seen Strigoi move. Suddenly, he was right in front of me.

"A useful little trick. Witches and warlocks might not have a strong internal connection to the elements like vampires, but we can pull magic from the world around us; we can sometimes become one with it. Air molecules move at about 1000 feet per second. If we concentrate hard enough, we can too. The more times you practice, the faster you'll get at it."

I was in shock. "That's faster than a Strigoi can move. It's not human."

"Well, we're _not_ human. Not completely at least," Marcus said simply.

"Good to know," I said, more to myself than him. My head was still reeling at how fast I had moved, and particularly the "not human" comment. Those two words were ringing in my head. Also, the fact that holy water would sting me sent a shockwave through my entire body. I almost didn't believe it. Sure, I could use magic, but I was still human, right? I didn't feel any different than I had before I'd known I was a witch, just maybe a little bit more . . . powerful.

Stanton's disappointment in me was also still fresh in my mind, which didn't help matters. I couldn't imagine what she would think of me if she were to ever find out. Would she disown me, the way Jared had disowned Marcus? And Jared. Would he disown me, even more than he already probably had? What would my little sister Zoey think? What would Carly think? Would they think I was a monster, the way Jared would? After all, they weren't adopted.

Fear, confusion, and a large bit of self-loathing pulsed through my veins, and in spite of the desert sun, I felt cold.

And that was when I felt it, the desire to run.

A part of me wanted to ask Marcus for some of his tattoo ink, get a tattoo, and never look back. A part of me wanted to just drop everything, and everyone, and just let go completely. I didn't want to think about Stanton's disapproval and I didn't want to think about Jared's horrific words. I didn't want to think about Zoey or Carly, and I didn't want to think about Simone's evil plans. I didn't want to think at all.

I wanted to be free, free from everything.

But . . . I couldn't be.

After all, we would fight Simone, and if we won, then what? Would I forget all about my magic and go back to being a dutiful, quiet, respectful Alchemist? Or would I get a magical tattoo and turn my back on everyone and everything? With option one, I was condemned to a lifetime of never making my own choices. With option two, I was condemned to a lifetime of running and a lifetime of hiding.

There had to be another way. There just had to be.

"Sydney?" Marcus had grabbed my shoulders. His blue eyes were wide. "Is this too much magic?"

"I . . ." I rubbed my temples and moved away. "I don't think so . . . I just . . ." I met his eyes. "I feel . . . trapped."

"Trapped?" He asked. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"Why do you keep helping me?" I asked him, about the tenth time, shaking my head. "You answered my questions honestly in the car. I want the truth."

He sighed. "Because I . . . I see a lot of myself in you."

I could understand that, considering the fact that he'd once had feelings for a vampire and had been a warlock stuck in an organization that despised magic. But there were differences between Marcus and myself that he didn't seem to see because he was older. The things that still bothered me and mattered to me had long since faded from his list of worries.

"We have similarities," I conceded. "But we're not exactly alike either."

"No one is," he said.

"What do you expect to get out of helping me?" I asked him. "When we defeat Simone-_if_ we defeat Simone-what are you going to do?"

"I don't-"

"Because I'm not leaving the Alchemists. I can't. I won't do that to my family, my sisters. I know I'm adopted, but they're still family. And you don't turn your back on your family. _Ever,_" I said.

"I know that," Marcus told me, a bit defensively. "I would never turn my back on my family."

I looked at him disbelievingly. "But you did. And you've spent all of this time acting like it's no big deal doing the magic, like it's no big deal having left the Alchemists, like it's what I should do. But in the car, I saw it. When you said you missed having a home, when you said it was better to be held captive by your own guilt." I shook my head at him. "You're just as lost as I am."

"You're being a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

"No, I'm being _realistic._ How can you expect me to do what you've done, when I can see how miserable you are?"

"I'm not miserable," he snapped. "Besides, do you have a better solution?"

"No," I admitted. "But what you've done to escape them isn't a solution. It's like putting a bandage over a cut. Sure, it's covered. But the wound is still there."

"At least I've attempted to do something, whereas you're just sitting around, waiting for something magical, and perfect to occur to you. There isn't a cut and dry solution to everything Sydney. You have to take a little bit of the bad to get some of the good."

"There is nothing _good_ about what you've done!" I snapped, growing angry in the face of his stubbornness. "Why won't you just admit that instead of facing your problems, you ran from them?"

"I didn't run from them. I accepted that there was nothing to be done about them, and I left," he said evenly, anger kindling in the depths of his dark blue eyes.

"So you just gave up, then?"

He threw his hands up. "What are you trying to get out of this conversation, Sydney? Huh? What is it that you want me to say?"

"I want you to admit that what you did was foolish, and reckless, and _not_ something I should do!" I let out. "And I want you to stop acting like you don't care about the Alchemists at all! I want you to stop acting like you don't miss them, even just a little bit! Stop acting like your heart is full of hate, because it's not!"

From what I knew of him and had seen of him, Marcus had a very good heart. He was a much more considerate person than his ugly words would've led others to think. The life he'd led had been a hard one, full of deceit and abused trust; it had hardened him. But that didn't change the fact that he was good at the core.

"But I do hate them, Sydney! They took everything from me!" He bellowed. I'd never seen him like this. This wasn't the polite, controlled ex-Alchemist, I'd grown accustomed too. These feelings were something he'd held back for a very long time, and they seemed to come bursting out. "Can't you tell that? All of them are the same! They're all judgmental and demeaning, and shouldn't be allowed nearly as much power as they have!"

"You know, for someone that hates an organization that judges people for believing differently than them, you sure know how to do the same."

Marcus gave a harsh laugh. "You actually think that some of the Alchemists just 'believe' in what they do?"

"I did once. And you did too. I read your old journal in Clarence's library. Maybe we're not 'judgmental' or 'demeaning' anymore, but there was a time when we were."

"You shouldn't have read that. That was private."

"Maybe. But my point's still valid. Not all Alchemists are the same. They're merely trapped, and behaving the way they are because it's what they've been taught to believe. Not all of them have special magic that lets them escape the system."

"What are you, a rights activist?" He snarled. "Are you going to take down the entire organization? Are you planning to lead a revolution?"

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm not going to leave them the way you did. I'm not going to leave my family, and the ones I care about behind because I see no other way out."

"Caring about collateral damage makes you foolish."

"Caring about 'collateral damage' makes me _considerate._ It makes me a good friend, a good sister, and a good person. Whether I'm entirely 'human' or not, I'm not letting those things change."

"Sometimes you have to look out for yourself," Marcus said. His words were nearly identical to Adrian's words last night.

"You had things a bit different when you left," I told him. "Tamara was dead. Adrian isn't."

Marcus flinched, and I felt a bit guilty about my words, but at the same time, I needed him to understand something.

"If Tamara were still alive when you'd been planning to leave, would you have been able to go through with it? Would you have been able to leave her behind?"

"I would've taken her with me," he said, when he'd regained his composure.

"You would've let her drop everything so that she could be with you? You would've let her throw away her entire life for you?"

Marcus stilled, and was silent for a long moment. He was still incalculably angry, but there was some other emotion in his eyes I couldn't pinpoint.

"Let's go back to Amberwood," he finally said, his voice distant and cold. "Jackie can help you with your magic. You don't want my help, then fine. I won't be giving it anymore."

* * *

**This falling out has been quietly building for a long time, and it was actually a pretty intense and difficult scene to write. Once again, I love all of your kind words and your interest in the story! I really appreciate it, and it keeps me motivated and writing more. You guys make me want to improve my writing, because I want each chapter to be better than the last. (:**

_**"You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel."**_

**Haha, jk. Sorry, opportunity was too good to pass up.**


	22. Chapter 22 Salem Witch Trials

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Salem Witch Trials**

Starting Monday, Amberwood returned to its usual schedule. Some students were happy to be reunited with their friends, while some seemed downright depressed that winter break was over. I was a bit relieved, as making my way to class and completing homework gave me a sense of normality. I found myself enjoying socializing, and talking about things that didn't relate to the supernatural. I tried to put Simone far enough out of my mind to keep up my Alchemist responsibilities. I'd received a few more phone calls from Stanton, one where she demanded to know how Jill's picture had gotten in the magazine in the first place. Jill had covered, saying that she'd "sneaked off" and done it on her own. This of course made Eddie and Angeline look bad, and I knew the guardians were giving them more heat than they let on.

Marcus hadn't made any attempts to contact me whatsoever. A bewildering as it was, I realized I kind of missed having someone that understood all the responsibilities I had on my shoulders. Only an Alchemist (or ex-Alchemist) could truly understand the pressures of the system. I made no efforts to contact him either, because I believed I had been right when we'd argued. I was pretty sure it was precisely that reason that he'd been avoiding me.

Ms. Terwilliger had been working with me on fire charms, and I'd been doing well. Each day I grew more and more confident that we might be able to beat Simone. But at the same time, each day I grew more and more restless. When Friday arrived, and Simone still hadn't made any moves, I was incredibly jumpy. My friend Julia had scooted her chair extra loudly at lunch, and I nearly jumped ten feet in the air.

"You're on edge. Did you get an A-minus on something?" She'd asked.

After my magic session with Ms. Terwilliger later that afternoon, I followed Eddie, Jill, Angeline, and Trey to a secluded area at the back of campus for self-defense. It was cloudy out, and pretty cool as Palm Springs weather went. I had even put a light jacket on over my blouse.

While we headed to the practice area, Angeline lagged behind Eddie and Jill, dragging her feet slightly. Trey and I exchanged looks. He leaned over into my ear.

"Don't tell me _you're_ going to try to talk to her," he said. "Giving comfort isn't really your strong suit."

"Maybe not," I admitted. "But I think I might know what's wrong."

I picked up my pace to catch up to Angeline. She didn't look over at me, but I knew she'd heard me fall in step beside her.

"Hey," I began. "I hope the guardians aren't giving you and Eddie too much heat about Friday. Adrian and I should've paid better attention. I'm sorry."

Angeline shook her head, and stole a glance at me. "You really think that's what's bothering me, don't you?"

I didn't, actually, but even _I_ knew better than to come right out and ask her about Eddie.

"Not exactly. I guess what I meant to say is . . . if you need to talk . . . you can." I tried to give her a sincere smile, and then I gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder.

She eyed me stonily for a moment and then chuckled. "Since when did you become comforting?"

"It's working?" I asked her, kind of surprised.

She chuckled again. "You get points for trying."

We walked together and she informed me of what I'd suspected. Eddie had broken up with her. I had guessed as much, because of them being on their date when Jill had been kidnapped. I knew Eddie would blame himself, and the way he was now _never_ leaving Jill's side solidified my suspicions. Angeline pretended that it wasn't fazing her, putting on a tough look and flipping her hair over her shoulder, but I could tell that it was merely an act. She'd had pretty deep feelings for Eddie, and for some reason Adrian's words from a long time ago echoed in my head:

_You don't know what it's like to love someone like that, then have that love thrown back in your face._

I hoped Eddie had let her down gently, and it sounded like he'd tried too. Angeline said he'd claimed that their priority was Jill, and that he couldn't be a responsible guardian while he dated Angeline. His words were partly true, but there was bitterness in Angeline's tone that led me to think she'd started to notice Eddie also had feelings for Jill. And really, how could she not? I watched Eddie and Jill walking in front of us. Jill was beaming, as was Eddie, with a full smile that only Jill could bring to the dhampir's weathered face.

Trey caught up to me and Angeline, making a joke that caused Angeline to roll her eyes. It did seem to have cheered her up just a little bit. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself for handling an awkward social situation so efficiently.

I took a seat against one of the large Palm trees when we reached the practice area. I watched as Eddie uncomfortably worked with both Angeline and Jill, while Trey listened. Trey seemed to be on the verge of laughter a few times, but Eddie would give him a murderous look, and Trey would wipe the grin off of his face.

I let some of the unusually cool Palm Springs breeze blow my hair around. I found it surprisingly soothing. At one time I would've been upset to have my hair get a little messy, but with all the stress I'd had going on, there were more important things than how neat my hair was. My phone vibrated then, and my heart sank. Stanton hadn't called to remind me how bad of a mistake I'd made yet today. Now was about the time.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Sage, hey."

I let out a sigh of relief, and couldn't help the small smile forming on my lips. My heart jumped, just at the sound of his voice. I put a hand to my chest, not sure how to classify the unfamiliar feeling.

"Hey," I managed to say. "Is everything okay?"

I heard him sigh. "Not exactly. I need to talk to you about something."

"When?"

"Now." He paused. "I'm not far."

"Oh Lord," I muttered. "Where are you?"

"The parking lot."

"I should've known," I said to myself. I told Adrian I'd meet him there and we hung up. I pulled myself up from the ground and told the gang where I was going to be. Eddie started to suggest he go with me because of Simone and I told him about my ring. Trey was too busy chatting with Angeline to hear our conversation. Eddie reluctantly agreed to let me go. I normally would've pointed out that he didn't "let" me do anything, but he didn't seem like he was in the mood.

Finally, I reached Adrian, who was sitting in his Mustang. He leaned across the seat and pushed the passenger door open for me. I took a deep breath and climbed inside.

"What'd you want to talk about?" I asked, once we'd gotten on the road. I slid my ring on my finger.

He shook his head. "Something that I think you should know. Let's grab some dinner."

"Okay."

I was growing uneasy. Adrian wasn't one to beat around the bush about things. Whatever he was preparing himself to tell me wasn't easy.

We ended up going to a restaurant called Pies and Stuff. I didn't like the broad use of the word "stuff", or the high calorie count of pies, but Adrian was so excited about such a "awesome place" I couldn't object. The interior of the restaurant was actually pretty nice. They had an unlimited fondue fountain, which seemed to really impress Adrian. He spent the first ten minutes of dinner explaining to me where his love of fondue had started. Apparently his Aunt Tatiana had acquired a fondue fountain once when he was little; she'd always let him have as much as he wanted. She had nearly gotten rid of the fountain when Adrian had stuck his mouth under it and let the fondue pour straight into his mouth.

"I think that was when my dad started to hate me," Adrian said. "Before that he just really didn't like me."

I shook my head and fiddled with some of the food on my plate. I'd gotten a salad from the salad bar.

"How come you didn't get any of the chocolate sauce they had? You could dip strawberries in it."

"I don't think so."

"Strawberries can increase your sex-drive, you know." His green eyes started to twinkle with his usual mischief.

I stared, a flush coming to my cheeks. "That's irrelevant," I said as disinterestedly as I could manage.

He shrugged. "It's medically proven. Don't act like you don't know that strawberries are filled with zinc. Apparently a woman's body prepares itself more quickly for sex, if she's had more zinc."

"Well, I wouldn't need to prepare myself in the first place."

"Because you're already ready?" He winked.

"No!" I hissed. "That's not what I meant and-"

"If it's the calories you're worried about – which is ridiculous – sex burns calories."

I rested my head in my hands. "What is the point of this conversation? What is the point of this dinner? I refuse to believe it's to discuss sexually enhancing fruits."

Adrian laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh with him. He grew more serious and pulled a book out from his backpack.

"I found this in Carlton's library," he said.

I didn't know what was more surprising: the fact that Adrian had gone to the library and checked out a book or the title scripted across the cover.

Written in gold ink across the books old leather cover was Salem Witch Trials: The Truth.

I grabbed the book. "What is this? Why did you check this out?"

Adrian rested his chin on his hands and watched me flip through the book.

"I was in the grocery store the other day, and I overheard these two guys talking about . . . witches."

I gave him a look. "That doesn't make sense. Why would some random guys be talking about witches?"

"That's the thing Sage . . ." he frowned. "They weren't random guys . . . they were vampire hunters. I heard them talk about the Warriors of Light. And I recognized one of them from the compound."

I grew still. "They didn't see you, did they?" I'd thought all of the Warriors were gone from town, though I supposed there could still be a few lingering about.

He shook his head. "No."

I felt relief at knowing he was safe, but at the same time, I felt my anxiety beginning to spike regarding them talking about witches. "What did they say about witches?"

Adrian hesitated. "They were saying that the Devil could give certain people known as witches and warlocks the power to harm others in return for their loyalty."

I took a breath, trying to ignore how those words stung me. "Well, the Warriors are a superstitious and hateful bunch. It figures that hating vampires alone wouldn't be enough. What else did they say?"

"They went on to say that the witches and the warlocks were worse than vampires. They said that the witches and warlocks created vampires, so if they could rid the world of witches . . ."

"They could rid the world of vampires," I said, running my hands through my hair.

Adrian nodded. "They also said that the hatred and persecution of witches was something that both the Warriors and the Alchemists agreed on. They said that it might be the way to bring the two groups together."

"The Alchemists don't know anything about witchcraft," I said automatically, though I heard the doubt in my own voice. Marcus, after all, had seen to it that they did. He'd once used his magic to stall them long enough to escape.

Adrian's eyes were soft, and he said the next words as gently as he could. "They discovered vampires because of the magical properties in our blood, right? Didn't Sonya say your blood had magic in it too? Didn't she say it had all four basic elements? If the Alchemists discovered vampires, they probably discovered witches too."

"They certainly haven't ever mentioned it to me," I said. I really shouldn't have been all that surprised by this. I'd known for a long time that the Alchemists would hate me if they knew what I was. I'd only been half-joking when I'd told Adrian they'd burn me at the stake. But _knowing_ that the Warriors and the Alchemists knew about witches, and that they didn't like them, confirmed my worst fears.

"The evil witches – Full Moons are what they call themselves – are the ones who created Strigoi," I said. "The good witches – Crescents is what we refer to ourselves as – didn't have anything to do with creating Strigoi. The Crescents gave the Moroi the ability to wield one of the elements so that they could stand a chance against Strigoi. We aren't evil. _I'm_ not evil," I told Adrian, feeling my eyes widening.

"I know," he said softly, "and anyone would be crazy to think you ever could be. There isn't an evil bone in your body." He paused, seeming to be considering something. "Kind of sucks, when people judge you based on _what_ you are instead of _who_ you are, doesn't it?"

I nodded and met his eyes seriously. "I'm sorry I judged you once. If I'd known what it felt like . . . I wouldn't have."

He gave me a sad smile. "You never really judged me Sage. You were only following the rules."

I returned his small smile. "Why can't more people try to see the world like you do?" I asked him.

He looked down. "Careful Sage, you're making me sound like a decent person."

I frowned. "You _are_ a decent person."

I tried to smile again, but a few of his words about the witches were still nagging at me.

"You said the Warriors said that they and the Alchemists agreed on the hatred and _persecution _of witches? Did they elaborate on the persecution part?" Ridding the world of witches didn't sound good at all, but I still clung to the hope maybe the Alchemists just didn't like witches. Surely they weren't as radical as the Warriors. Hopefully they just agreed on the hatred part.

Adrian stiffened and frowned. "They said the Alchemists believed in killing them too."

"So if they . . . if they knew what I was, they would kill me?"

The answer was in Adrian's eyes. He didn't need to say it aloud.

"Oh my God," I breathed. My mind was racing, along with my heart. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't leave them, this confirmed that even more I realized. I might have been more powerful, and more full-blooded than Zoey, but they could still harm her if they found out what she was. What would happen if Jared found out about Jamie . . . ?

"I know you're worried about your sister, Sage, and that you can't leave for that reason," Adrian said, "but I'm worried about _you._ If those bastards even lay a hand on you, I swear, I have no qualms about shooting every single last one of them."

"You can't protect me from everything," I said as gently as I could. They were the same words I'd said last week, when I'd helped him overcome the spirit's darkness.

"Maybe not. But I'll die trying if I have too," he said, his emerald eyes flashing.

"Don't you talk like that," I said harshly. "You will not ever die for me, do you understand that?"

"But I wouldn't mind if I had too, do _you_ understand _that_? If you can bend over backward to save everyone else, there should be at least one person that would bend over backward to save you."

"You don't need to offer to save me because you feel obliged," I said weakly.

"Dammit Sydney, that's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Well then why else would you?"

He was quiet for a long moment, and when I finally forced myself to look into his eyes, they were more serious than I'd ever seen them. There was no mischief, no humor, but there was something else in them, something else that frightened me and thrilled me at the same time.

"I have my reasons," he said finally.

"Well, why'd you check this book out?" I asked, needing to change the subject.

He looked relieved at the subject change too. "Well, I had this crazy theory that the people who killed the witches back in Salem could've been Alchemists. And the more I read from this book, the less crazy my theory sounded. You tend to like books almost as much as you like me, so I checked out a copy for you."

I took the old book and put it in my purse, deciding to investigate this whole thing when I got back to Amberwood.

"You know who would probably know more about all of this stuff?" Adrian asked.

I sighed. "Marcus."

"We should go talk to him about it," Adrian said. He pulled his charcoal coat closer together and gave the waitress our tab.

"Funny thing," I said, avoiding his eyes. "Marcus and I sort of aren't speaking."

"Why not?" Adrian asked, looking confused.

"We had a mild disagreement," I admitted.

"Well, I think you need to fix it. Come on. Let's pay him a visit."

"I don't know where he lives."

"Call Jackie and find out," Adrian said. "Whatever squabble you and Marco are having can't be more important than your safety."

I nodded and did as he suggested. Ms. Terwilliger was able to give me Marcus' address. He lived in an apartment complex not too far from Adrian's. Adrian and I left Pies and Stuff and headed toward the warlock's apartment. I tried calling Marcus but he didn't pick up; I hadn't really expected him too, though it still stung a little bit. I didn't think I'd made him too mad, but then I thought back to the way his eyes had looked on Sunday. I'd hurt his feelings too. When people were hurt, it took them a lot longer to come back around than when they were just angry.

When we arrived at Marcus' apartment, Adrian reached his hand up too knock on the door.

"Marco!" He called, "it's your favorite vampire!"

"Shh," I hushed Adrian. His words carried out into the night, and I wondered what Marcus' neighbors were thinking if they'd heard it. I pulled my jacket closer together, the breeze picking up.

"He's not going to answer," I said. "Let's just go."

"Can't you pull some sort of witchy trick to get the door open?" Adrian asked. "If you say no, I'll just pick the lock."

I sighed and placed my hand on the door knob, and muttered the familiar unlocking spell. I heard a click, and then turned the door open. Adrian and I entered Marcus' apartment, to find all of the lights on, along with the TV.

"_Revelare,"_ I whispered, holding my hands out. It was a spell I'd worked on with Ms. Terwilliger during lunch once, designed to reveal anyone in a room or house that was hiding from me, by illuminating them with an eerie glow. It showed no signs of life in this apartment whatsoever.

"See," I said to Adrian, "he's not here."

Adrian was already exploring the apartment. "Damn this is a _nice_ place." He eyed the black leather sofa and arm chair, along with the flat screen television.

"It is," I agreed. "It's nice and neat too."

Adrian chuckled. "That would be what you notice." He started to head towards the kitchen. "Let's split up. I'll check the living room and the kitchen. You head down that hallway in the back and check his bedroom. We'll cover more ground faster that way."

"We really shouldn't sneak around his place when he's not here. It's an invasion of privacy," I said hesitantly.

"Oh come on Sage," he said. "You said the guy's been keeping stuff from you. Well here's our chance to find out what he's been hiding."

I sighed and began to make my way toward the back of the apartment. My flats made soft thuds against the shiny hardwood floors, which ran throughout the place. I pushed open a door at the end of the hall, which revealed the ex-Alchemist's bedroom.

I entered his bedroom cautiously, making my way over to a lamp in the corner of the room. I flipped it on, and light flooded the room, exposing book shelf upon book shelf, lining the walls. A desk light was already on, resting on desk located on one of the far walls against a window. Walking past Marcus' made up bed, I reached his desk and examined the materials laid out on it curiously.

An old spell book appeared to be opened, the script in it handwritten, a lot like Sarah's spell diary. Beside it looked like what appeared to be the back of a picture. Thinking maybe Marcus had been performing some sort of location spell, I flipped the picture over. And then I nearly dropped it.

The picture appeared to be pretty old, the edges frayed, and the color slightly faded. But that wasn't what had almost made me drop it. The man in the picture could've passed for Marcus' twin brother. He looked around Marcus' age at the time the picture had been taken, and had the exact same blonde hair. His smile was genuine and warm, and his deep blue eyes twinkled with happiness. It was then I noticed that the picture had been torn from another photo. The man's arm was cut off, but looked as though it was wrapped around someone . . .

As if it had a mind of its own, I felt my hand reach inside of my purse and pull out my picture of Sarah. I set her photo down on the desk, and attempted to match the torn end up with the torn end of the photo Marcus had. The two edges fit together perfectly, and it became clear that the man in Marcus' photo had his arm around my mother.

Jamie Sage's words, describing my birth-father came back to me then. _"Blue eyes . . . infuriatingly perfect blonde hair . . ."_

"Michael," I whispered incredulously, running my hands gently over the photo of my father. Tears welled up in my eyes, looking at my birth-parents side-by-side, happy. I had only known them briefly, and I'd been too young to remember specifics, but in that moment I realized I wanted them there with me. I would've given anything to have just a few seconds with either one of them.

What would they think of me if they were alive? They'd never wanted me to get involved in the magic, but had known it was inevitable. What would they say to me? What would I say to them? Would they be proud of me for trying to fight Simone or would they be disappointed that I was unintentionally putting the people I loved at risk? Would they have been okay with my feelings for a vampire? Would they have told me to leave the Alchemists like Marcus always did?

Marcus.

Why did Marcus look just like Michael, my father? There was only one explanation, and that was that he was related to Michael somehow. I flipped the spell book on Marcus' desk over, attempting to make out the name engraved on the front.

_Michael Finch. _Michael . . . _Finch?_

"Oh my God," I said aloud, shaking my head. No. This wasn't happening. Michael Finch, my father, and Sarah Anderson, my mother, couldn't be Marcus' parents too. Marcus couldn't be my brother. There was no way. Granted, we were both adopted, we both could perform magic, and we both had been given to Alchemist families, but still, those were all merely coincidences.

Marcus doesn't even have a sister, I told myself firmly, and then I stilled, remembering a conversation between us, what felt like years ago.

_"I'm sorry. Do you have any other family?" I'd asked, after he'd told me his birth parents were dead._

_"I have a sister," he'd said. "I've been searching for her for a couple of years."_

_I'd smiled, knowing the joy of having a sister. "I think you'll find her."_

_Marcus had looked up again then, smiling a genuine smile, his blue eyes lightening. "I think so too."_

And suddenly, so many pieces of the puzzle that was Marcus clicked into place. Why he was so eager to help me, why he always enjoyed tormenting Adrian, why he always looked out for me like he did . . .

He hadn't come back to Palm Springs to check on Clarence. He'd come back for me, because he didn't want me to be alone, because _I was his sister._

Stanton had always avoided my questions about Marcus, and I now knew she'd probably been very aware of whom he was. The Alchemists had been hiding my own brother, my own flesh and blood from me.

_Probably because they were afraid you'd betray them like he did,_ some voice in my head said.

Well, I decided bitterly, it looked like their worst fears were going to come true, because in that moment, _something inside of me snapped._

I was finished with their lies and their half-truths, their rules and their expectations, their controlling ways and their blind hatred, _I was done. _Red hot anger boiled within me, along with a new sense of independence that made me feel stronger than I'd ever felt. I wasn't going to be a captive to the lily on my cheek anymore. I was going to choose what I wanted, and I was going to do whatever was necessary to get it.

One day they would pay, I decided. They would pay for the witches and warlocks they'd probably killed, and they would pay for the lies they'd told me. They would pay for the lies they'd told every last one of us.

I heard the door behind me creak open, and Adrian entered the room.

"Did you find anything interesting?"

I held up the picture of my mother and the picture of my father side-by-side. "You could say that."

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**I love reading every single one of your reviews; they always make me smile. (:**


	23. Chapter 23 Find A Way

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Find A Way**

"Who's that with . . . is the guy Marcus?" Adrian moved closer to get a better look at the pictures.

"The woman's Sarah Anderson and the man's Michael Finch."

Adrian frowned. "Marcus' parents?"

"_Our _parents . . ." I said.

Adrian froze, and his expression would have been comical had my world not been spinning. "So Marco's your . . . brother?"

I nodded, feeling like I needed to sit down.

For some odd reason, Adrian looked immensely relieved. "Well, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better."

I walked over to take a seat on the edge of Marcus' bed. "What? Why?"

"Because this whole time I had myself convinced you guys were soul mates."

I felt my mouth drop open. "Why on earth would you think that?" I asked, shocked, and well, a bit grossed out.

He came to take a seat beside me, the bed sinking under our weight. "Because your auras are practically identical. It's like you two are the same person. And now I know it's not because you two are written in the stars; it's because you're related."

I sighed and gave Adrian a level look, but then something occurred to me. "So _this _is why he told me I was revolting," I muttered.

Adrian's face scrunched up. "Huh? Who said you were revolting?"

"Marcus," I explained. "He said that you thought he was interested in me one day, and then proceeded to tell me how disgusting and revolting I was."

Adrian laughed loudly at this. "That sounds like how he would put it. I guess telling you the truth never crossed his mind?" Adrian asked. "Or telling me," he grumbled.

I frowned. "I'm sure it had too, because I think he's definitely known all along. It explains so much."

Adrian nodded. "Did your mom – well, Aunt – mention that you had any siblings wandering around?"

"She said that our parents could have split us up to better keep us from the magic, but she didn't seem to think it was very likely; she didn't know of any."

Adrian shook his head. "Damn, Sage. If you'd told me that, I could've put it together in five minutes. I mean, you and Marco even _look_ related, now that I think about it."

I turned to face him. "Well, we're both blonde I guess."

"It's not just that," Adrian elaborated. "You guys have the same expressions and stuff too. You both give me the _exact _same look whenever I say something inappropriate. You know, the disapproving one that translates to shut up in just about every language."

I sighed, Adrian's elation not really helping calm my spinning thoughts. "I can't believe this," I said.

"Aren't you happy?" Adrian asked. "I mean, you kind of have a piece of your parents now."

I pondered his words. Was I happy to have a long lost brother? My first instinct was to grow stressed, because another sibling meant another person to worry about, but as I calmed down, I realized Marcus wasn't going to be like Zoe; he wouldn't need me to watch out for him constantly. He was a grown man, someone that could very obviously look out for himself. He was old enough to understand the things Zoe didn't yet. He was old enough to understand me, or at least try to, I realized. In fact, if anyone was looking out for anyone . . . it seemed like Marcus had spent this last month and a half looking out for me.

"Maybe," I decided. "But now I actually feel kind of bad about what I said to him when we fought the other day. I was pretty harsh, although I thought I was doing him a favor at the time," I admitted.

"What did you say?"

"I may have insinuated that he didn't care about his family, called him judgmental, and then brought up his dead ex-girlfriend."

"Ah, the joys of brotherly sisterly love," Adrian mumbled.

"I made valid points though," I said defensively. Points that he did need to hear. He was so set in his ways, I'd had to get angry for him to listen to me.

_Sound like anyone else you know, Sydney?_

Adrian sighed. "Well, why don't you call him and leave him a sweet, sisterly message, then maybe he'll finally call back."

I nodded. "Okay." I pulled out my cell phone. "What should I say? Hey long lost brother, I sneaked into your apartment, found a picture of our father, and pieced everything together?"

Adrian thought for a moment. "I'd go with short, sweet, and incredibly mysterious. When you get the answering machine just say, "I know" in a real low voice then hang up. He's a lot like you, so it'll drive him crazy not knowing what you know, so then he'll have to call back."

I sighed tiredly, and dialed Marcus' number, deciding just to wing it. When I got the answering machine, I said, "Hey, call me back when you get this. I'd like to know why you haven't ever mentioned that you're my brother."

Adrian started laughing before I hung up. "That's you Sage, always direct and straight-forward."

I felt tired, and kind of grumpy. "Well, he should have told me," I said, crossing my arms.

Adrian chuckled and we left Marcus' bedroom and apartment and began the drive back to Amberwood.

"You sure you're doing okay with all of this?" Adrian asked.

I reached to turn the heat up in his Mustang, the night growing colder as it went on.

"Yeah," I finally said. "I'm fine with Marcus being my brother I guess, kind of relieved really."

Adrian nodded. "But?"

"They didn't tell me. The Alchemists. And I _know_ they knew." I turned to look at Adrian. "Why would they keep that from me?" I asked him softly. "How could they keep my own brother, my own family from me? I don't care what he's done to them. He's still my _family._" Anger burned inside of me, and I felt it seeping into my voice. "Keeping him from me was _not _their decision to make. They shouldn't be able to choose whether I know my family or not: that's entirely up to me, because Marcus is _my_ family. Not theirs."

Adrian spared me a brief glance and then returned his eyes to the road. "I've told you that you deserve better."

"It's not right," I said quietly, shaking my head.

"So we'll make it right," he said simply.

"How?" I asked.

"We'll find a way."

"I don't want to be an Alchemist," I said in a small voice. "I never wanted to be one. I was never _supposed_ to be one."

He wrapped one arm around me, and pulled me closer. "I know," he said gently, "I know." He always did, I thought. He always seemed to know what was going on inside of my crazy head.

When we finally pulled in the Amberwood parking lot, he reached to turn my cheek so that I was looking straight at him. His hand was warm and soft, much like his eyes.

"What does this mean for us?" He asked.

Normally I would've responded by saying there was no us, but I stopped myself. I'd kissed him the other night, stayed over with him, and now he had his arm around me, and was brushing some hair gently back from my face.

Telling Adrian there was no us would've been a lie. Truthfully, I had no idea what to tell him.

The only guy I'd ever dated was Brayden, and that hadn't been anything like this. I couldn't imagine calling Adrian my boyfriend, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I was an Alchemist and he was a vampire. It would've just been . . . weird. I didn't have enough social experience to have a "type" of guy that I preferred but if I'd ever been asked before I'd met Adrian, my "type" wouldn't have been anything like him. I probably would've answered by saying that I wanted someone reserved, with more books than friends. I would've never answered by saying that I wanted someone passionate and free-spirited; I wouldn't have even known anyone like that existed. I certainly wouldn't have expected someone as remarkable as Adrian to ever be interested in me. Even now, with his warm body so close to mine, the fact still astounded me.

I wasn't sure how to handle what this was with Adrian, because it was so intense. I knew that it wouldn't be right to sneak around with him; the Alchemists would find out eventually. Leaving the Alchemists wasn't an option either, at least not the way Marcus had. But then I couldn't stay.

"I don't know about us," I finally told Adrian, pulling myself from my thoughts. I reached up to clasp his hand. He squeezed it, listening to me quietly. "I don't know about _me_," I admitted. "I don't know what I'm going to do; I don't know what I _can_ do, but like you said, we'll find a way."

Adrian nodded. "Okay. I trust you."

I looked down and heard the breeze kicking up outside. I pulled my jacket together, preparing myself to face the desert night. "Thanks for always looking out for me," I told him. "And for checking the book out. I know going to the library must've been quite the feat for you."

"I was pretty badass in there. I found the book all by myself."

I smiled. "How long did it take you?"

His cocky expression dimmed. "I found it, that's what matters. That and I looked good while I did it."

I sighed, and pulled away from him. "Goodnight," I told him softly.

"Goodnight," he said.

I climbed out of the car and gave him one last look before I entered the lobby to the girl's dormitory. I'd just barely made curfew. Ms. Weather's gave me a disapproving look. I avoided her gaze as best as I could. I heard quick footsteps coming down one of the halls, and Ms. Terwilliger stepped into the lobby.

"Ma'am?" I asked her.

A look of relief crossed her face. "I'm glad you're finally back," she told me.

I frowned. "Did you need me for something?"

She nodded, and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Yes. Come with me." She turned to Ms. Weathers. "She's got an assignment to finish."

Ms. Weathers sighed. "All right Jackie. Please don't let her be out too late."

Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand down. "I won't."

My history teacher began to lead me out of the dormitory.

"Is everything okay ma'am?" I asked her, once we'd began the long, cold, walk to her classroom. "Has something come up with Simone?"

"Let's just say my sister is even cleverer than we originally thought," she said darkly.

"What has she done now?" I asked, dread coiling at the pit of my stomach.

"I'll show you when we get to the classroom."

I continued to follow her uneasily, really wishing I didn't have to deal with this right now. My head was still spinning from everything else I'd found out tonight. I'd had enough life-altering discoveries for one day.

Middle campus, where all the classrooms were, was completely empty. Students were already in their dorms, and most teachers had gone home for the night. The lights were off too, which gave the building an almost eerie feel.

When we reached her classroom, Ms. Terwilliger pushed the door open for me, and I stepped inside. The only light on was a desk lamp.

"What's going on ma'am?" I asked, turning to face her.

Ms. Terwilliger closed the door, and then for some reason, she locked it. She took a deep breath, and then reached around the back of her neck, unfastening a gaudy strand of beads she was wearing. The necklace fell to ground and broke, the beads scattering across the floor. A few rolled and stopped at my feet. My heart started to pound, and I moved eyes from the beads to where my history teacher had been standing.

"Hello Sydney," Simone said, flipping some dark hair over her shoulder. "I think it's about time we met."

* * *

**DA DA DA DUMMMMM. **


	24. Chapter 24 Thirty Minutes

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Thirty Minutes**

"_You_," I breathed, taking a few steps back. She wasn't throwing any spells at me yet, so I opted not to attack her; I needed to conserve as much energy as I could.

"Me," she said back, a bit too cheerfully.

The feelings that gathered upon seeing Simone Terwilliger for the first time in the flesh were staggering. Fear. Anger. Determination. And hate. I wasn't sure which burned the strongest.

"Where's Jackie?" I asked sharply. "What have you done with her?"

Simone rolled her light blue eyes. "She won't be interfering with my plans any more than she already has. That's all I have to say on the matter."

She took a few steps toward me, her boots clicking on the classroom floor. She was dressed in dark jeans and a dark leather jacket, very different from the hippie attire I'd grown used to seeing sported by Ms. Terwillger.

She looked me up and down. "I have to say," she began thoughtfully, "you aren't what I expected." She crossed her arms. "I expected someone a little taller, perhaps a little tougher."

"Sorry to disappoint you," I said dryly.

A small smile formed at the edges of her lips. She began pacing, circling me, and I was careful not to turn my back on her.

"You know, Sydney," she said, her tone still disturbingly polite, "for some reason, everyone wants to bend over backward to save you." She gave me a quizzical look. "And honestly, I don't understand why. I mean, there doesn't seem to be anything all that special about you. I know you're smart, albeit somewhat naive when it comes to men. Still, you do have good taste; that, I'll admit. The young vampire friend of yours is quite attractive. It's Adrian, isn't?"

"Don't even _think_ about laying a hand on him," I warned her, feeling the anger rise and redden my cheeks.

She laughed, and it sent a chill down my spine. "Oh, don't worry. He's not my type. I don't really go for the whole misunderstood bad-boy with a good heart thing. Anyway, back to you. You're an Alchemist, I know. Obviously you're not the good little girl they think you are. Which is really rather amusing."

She held up her long, slender fingers and, as though counting with them, began listing the things she knew about me. "I know you're a gifted witch, a loyal friend, and _very_ protective of your family." She gave me a smile, her blue eyes twinkling. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, congratulations," I said sarcastically, my eyes never leaving hers.

She chuckled then sighed dramatically. "It really is a shame I'm going to have to kill you. You're actually rather likeable. I don't think you have any idea what you're capable of, which will certainly work to my advantage."

I stiffened at the casual way she'd referenced killing me. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of responding to it.

"Let's get started, shall we? I've been told you're going to foolishly attempt to fight me, and, to be honest, I don't much feel like it, so I've arranged something that might persuade you to do otherwise."

My brow furrowed, and my heart began to pound in my chest.

"Follow me," she told me, striding toward the door.

I didn't move. I stood against the wall of the classroom, debating whether to attack. Something told me that if I did so right now, it would mean even worse consequences in the long-run. I decided to try to catch her by surprise. She seemed cocky, reasonably so, considering the number of young witches and warlocks she'd killed. If she thought I wasn't going to fight, maybe she would let down her guard, giving me the opportunity to surprise her.

"Come along, Sydney," she tossed over her shoulder, not even bothering to look back at me. "The clock's ticking. Literally."

"And if I don't . . . 'come along'?" I asked.

Now she stopped and turned to face me, a chilling smile on her face. "Then I'll have to kill your brother too."

I froze. I fought the rising urge to throw a spell at her. Panic struck at the mere mention of my "brother." My first thoughts were of Eddie and Adrian, but I reminded myself that I had a real brother, an actual blood-relative that she was talking about. My only blood. The only other part of my parents that still lived.

"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" She taunted.

I bit back my retort, trying to hide the dark anger that boiled inside of me. It would help me fight harder later.

I followed her out into the dark hall. She held out her hand and a flame floated from her fingers, the way I'd heard Moroi fire used their fire. Simone's willowy shadow seemed to be a lot taller than mine, almost dwarfing me, and I watched our shadows following along in silence as we walked down the hallway. I thought about Marcus. What had she done to him? What would she do with him?

Nothing, as long as I'm here, I decided. She wasn't going to lay a hand on him. Nothing would happen to him because of me. She was right about me being protective of my family. Maybe I couldn't have her eye gouged out by Abe, but I was sure that I could do some damage of my own if I tried.

She led me through large steel double doors into Amberwood's gymnasium. The bleachers were still pulled out from a basketball game that had ended hours ago. The flashing scoreboard and light from an open locker room door barely illuminated the dark room. The air was still, and I heard my steps thud loudly as we crossed the court. The fire in Simone's hand disappeared, dimming the room even more. My eyes scanned the gym, looking for threats, and that was when I saw him. Marcus.

He was sitting casually on one of the bleachers, watching us, his face stony and indifferent. I moved quickly toward him, ignoring Simone's disapproving "tsk, tsk" behind me.

I sank down onto the bleacher beside him, with my body angled toward Simone in a posture of readiness if she began to attack.

I asked him the most obvious question first. "Why are you just sitting here?"

"Because I can't leave this room. Anyone that comes in can't leave without her permission," Marcus said angrily, looking at Simone.

For several reasons, his words frightened me. We were trapped. And I knew Marcus well enough to know that, if there was way out, he would've found it. The spell Simone had cast to trap him was too strong for him to break it, and he was the most powerful warlock I knew. It was a chilling reminder of how the power Simone had acquired over the years; a reminder of what we were up against.

"How nice," Simone said, with phony sweetness. She walked toward center court and facing us. "A brother and sister bonding moment."

Marcus stiffened beside me, and I put a hand on his shoulder, forgetting about the fight we'd had earlier. "I know," I told him quietly.

He turned his attention back to Simone.

"So you're just going to continue like this? You're going to continue killing innocent people? It doesn't bother you at all?" I asked Simone angrily.

Next to me, Marcus sighed. "It's a little late for redemption, don't you think?"

He had a point.

Simone played idly with one of her painted nails. "Now, now, Marcus surely _you _don't think it's too late for redemption. I certainly hope not, considering it's your fault she's in this mess."

I glowered at her. "It's not his fault," I growled.

Simone looked at me. "Oh but it is. See, I wouldn't have even been looking for you, if it weren't for Marcus. Well, at least not for a long time."

"You're lying," I accused. "He's my friend. My family." I turned to Marcus, confused by his silence. Our eyes met, and he quickly averted his from mine, hanging his head. "Marcus?" I whispered, fear creeping into my voice. All this time he had been on my side. He'd done nothing but try to help me learn to protect myself. He wasn't the reason Simone was after me. He couldn't be.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice shaking. "I didn't want this to happen."

"What are you talking about?" I breathed.

Simone's shrill laugh rang through the gymnasium. "After all this time, you still haven't told her." Her words weren't a question.

"Told me what?" I demanded of her.

"Don't," Marcus told Simone, his voice taking on the powerful quality I'd heard so many times.

"He decided to be a superhero a few years ago," Simone said coldly, looking at me. "He decided he would kill my husband. All for the "greater good" of course," she snarled.

"She's leaving out the part about her husband killing our parents," Marcus hissed at her, though his words were obviously meant for me. My stomach leapt to my throat, and a gasp came from my lips. He gave me a troubled glance, but looked away quickly.

I turned to face him. "What?" I asked. I felt lost; as though I was the only one who had been kept in the dark. I was horrified that he would keep such knowledge from me. I felt myself growing angry at him.

Oblivious to my rising anger, Simone continued. "Your parents were two of many witches and warlocks my husband killed. He would've killed both of you, too, had he known about you. After Marcus murdered my husband, Sydney, my reaction was to kill the bastard," she gestured to Marcus, "but I realized death would be too kind. You see, when he killed my husband, he left me alone, and that was worse than mere death. I wanted to make sure that Marcus spent his life alone, too."

She walked toward us and knelt slightly, her eyes level with ours. "And what better way to assure that he spends his life alone, than to kill the only family he has?"

I felt my grip on Marcus' shoulder slacken. Adrian had mentioned seeing guilt in Marcus' aura when he looked at me. The witch club had avoided my question about why Simone was after me. I felt like everyone had known this. Everyone, except for me. I looked at Marcus incredulously, and his eyes finally met mine.

"How could you?" I whispered. "How could you not tell me?"

His eyes were filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry," he whispered back. It seemed to be the only thing he knew to say.

Simone groaned suddenly. "This is getting boring. Let's make things a bit more interesting, shall we?" She smiled mischievously.

She threw a spell at us. I didn't know what kind of spell it was, because I moved before it could strike me. Marcus and I split, diving in opposite directions. I jumped from the bleachers and shouted the incantation for a force shield before the next curse could hit me. Marcus did the same. This was it, I realized. I didn't have my purse. I had no ingredients or spell books. I had only my abilities. And my brother.

Simone held one hand out in a force shield, blocking Marcus' curses. With the other hand, she threw curses at me. I lowered my shield long enough to throw a fire charm Ms. Terwilliger had taught me. The ball of fire flew from my hand and _Simone let it hit her._ She merely laughed, not even crying out in pain. Marcus, however, was a different story. I threw my force shield up again and looked at my brother. His arm was blistered, a though it had just been burned.

"Keep going," he told me over the ruckus. "Don't worry about me!" He threw a curse at Simone, just as I turned away.

I proceeded to throw another fire charm as she continued trying to fight off the immobility spell Marcus had thrown at her. She let the fire hit her again, this time in the leg. At first, I thought she'd let my charms hit her simply to be cocky, but now I realized that she was purposely allowing me to hit her. I looked back at Marcus, shocked to see that he now had a burn on his leg, in the very spot where I'd hit Simone. He appeared to be having trouble moving, as though he'd been hit with an immobility spell, too.

I froze in confusion, looking back at the witch from behind my force shield. "What is this?" I asked loudly, my breathing ragged from using my magic.

Simone suddenly relaxed her arms and laughed. "I told you I arranged something to persuade you not to fight."

"Don't listen to her, Sydney," Marcus warned. I ignored him, keeping my attention on Simone.

"I've connected myself to your brother with a spell," Simone said, clearly amused. "Anything you do to me happens to him. And he doesn't heal as quickly as I do." She gave me a look of feigned sympathy, then took a step forward. I lowered the force shield.

"If you kill me," she said, her face darkening, "you'll kill him, too. So go ahead. Fight me."

I stared in shock, ignoring Marcus' protests. I lowered my hands completely and Simone smiled. "That's what I thought." She walked over to the score board's controller at a table and set the clock for thirty minutes. A loud buzz went off when she started the countdown.

"You have thirty minutes," she told me. "If you don't hand yourself over before the time's up, we _will _fight, and I'll have the joy of watching you kill your own brother in the process." Her icy blue eyes flashed with a cruelty I'd seen only in Strigoi. But this woman wasn't undead; she was very much alive. It was a true abomination of nature, I realized. Pure evil.

Simone turned and was almost to the door of the gym when she stopped, turned and reached her hand out toward us. I ducked instinctively, preparing for a curse, and was surprised to see my cell phone fly out of my purse and into the witches hand. She threw it out into the hallway.

"You won't need this," she said. And then she left, the steel door slamming loudly behind her.

I stared at the door for a moment longer, still frozen in disbelief.

"Kill me," Marcus said suddenly.

I turned to him, stunned. "What? Why on earth would you suggest something like that?"

"It's the only way, Sydney," he said. I helped him sink down onto the bleachers. His wounds hadn't healed at all, and he grimaced in pain. "If you kill me, it won't kill Simone but it'll weaken her significantly. It'll weaken her enough make her vulnerable. It'll weaken her enough for you to kill her."

"No!" I told him, appalled that he would suggest it. "There is _no _way you're dying for me. I won't allow it."

"I wouldn't only be dying for you. I'd be helping rid the world of one of the most evil witches in history, which would save an untold number of lives."

"You'd also be leaving me without a family," I reminded him, hoping that might change his way of thinking.

"You have a family," he said. "You have Adrian and Eddie. And Jill and Angeline."

"They're _like_ my family," I agreed, "but you _are_ my family. And you're not going to die on my account or anyone else's, do you understand?"

We were silent for a while, both of us lost in thought. I tried to think of ways to break the spell that had bound Marcus and Simone together. Marcus had once told me that everything was made to balanced. There had to be some counter curse to this, some way out of it. I pulled out Sarah's spell diary, looking for a solution, but I found nothing.

"Sydney?" Marcus called my name, breaking the silence. "You're not handing yourself over either, do you understand that?"

I gave him a look. "But if we can't break this curse and I don't hand myself over she'll-"

Marcus placed his hands firmly on either side of my shoulders. "You're going to fight her, whether it kills me or not. It's better that I die than you."

"If you keep talking like this, I'll find a spell to seal your mouth shut," I snapped. "We'll-"

"I've lived, Sydney," he insisted. "I've experienced love and heartbreak. I've seen the world. I've seen things outside of being an Alchemist. But you . . . you haven't seen what life has to offer. You haven't had the chance. And I will not let you throw that away for someone who has - family or not."

We heard footsteps, and I glanced fearfully at the clock, which had only ten minutes remaining. The double doors opened, and my heart began to pound. And, just as quickly, it almost stopped. And sank. It plummeted to the deepest part of my chest. It plummeted so quickly that it felt as though it would crash and splinter into a million pieces.

"No!" Marcus and I shouted at the same time.

But we were too late. Adrian had already come through the doors, entering the gymnasium.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! Reading all of your different reactions after the cliffhanger in Chapter 23 really made me smile. I'm so glad you guys are so into the story!**


	25. Chapter 25 Facing Evil

**Chapter 25**

**Facing Evil**

"I didn't know witches played basketball," Adrian remarked, stepping into the gym. As he came closer, he examined the scene more closely. I watched his gaze move from my expression to Marcus' obvious wounds.

Humor faded from his face. "Is everything okay?"

It seemed difficult for him to tear his gaze from mine. "What happened to you, Marco?"

"Simone happened," Marcus informed him gravely. "Or rather, _is _happening. You just walked right into her trap."

"Now that you've entered, you can't leave," I explained, shifting myself into a more upright position. Adrian sat down on the bleacher in front of us, turning to face us.

He eyed Marcus' wounds and reached out to heal them. Marcus promptly slid down the bleacher, away from Adrian's healing hands. Adrian started to protest, but I reached out and grasped his arm urgently. I began explaining everything as quickly as I could.

The words rushed out, and when I had finished, Adrian shook his head, then said confidently, "There's no way in hell you're turning yourself over to her."

"That's what I told her," Marcus said, having moved to sit down on the other side of me.

"So I just let my brother die?" I gestured to Marcus. "And what is she going to do to _you_ if I don't hand myself over?" I asked Adrian. "Have you considered that?"

"Sage, that doesn't change anything."

I couldn't take it. I didn't want anyone, let alone two of the men I cared deeply about, to be willing to give their lives for me. The thought racked me with guilt and terror.

"There has to be another way. There has to be," I said insistently. Suddenly, something occurred to me. "Adrian, block Jill out of the bond. Block her. Now," I told him adamantly. I didn't want any more of my friends to be pulled into this death trap.

"I don't know how yet," Adrian admitted regretfully. "Well, at least not very well."

"Hand me your necklace Sydney," Marcus said suddenly. I did as he instructed, unfastening the cross and placing it in his hand. He muttered an incantation several times, as he closed his eyes. He then opened his eyes and handed the necklace to Adrian, telling him to put it on.

"That should block Jill from the bond, but it won't last long. The most it'll do is make things appear hazy to her for a little while."

I glanced at the ticking clock. We had less than two minutes, and I noticed that the tick-tock seemed to keep perfect rhythm with my racing heartbeat. Adrian looked at the clock, dread showing on his face, too. "Can my magic do anything here? Am I completely useless against that bitch? I mean, if I can get close enough, I can throw a punch."

I had already begun considering my own crazy idea involving Adrian's magic. I stood up and began pacing on the court as I spoke. "What if, while I fight Simone, I make it my goal to knock her out? Whatever damage I'm inflicting on her, Adrian, you heal it from Marcus immediately, so that he doesn't die. If I can somehow knock Simone out, we can then restrain her somehow, maybe with the help of the rest of the coven, until we can find a way to break the bond between her and Marcus."

Adrian was listening intently, trying to identify any shortcomings. Marcus, however, was already shaking his head.

"It won't work," he said, his indigo tattoo barely visible in the dim light. "Simone isn't like the others you've fought. There is no restraining her. There is no knocking her out. When she gets in here, you have to give it everything that you've got. You're powerful enough to kill her, Sydney. I wouldn't tell you that if it weren't true."

"And while you're taking care of the bitch," Adrian said, "I'll stay here with Marcus. There's got to be a way out of this. We'll find it."

Thirty seconds were left on the clock and I hurried over to Adrian, placing my hands on each side of his face. "But you _stay _over here, okay? There's nothing you can do to help me fight Simone, so don't come over to me, no matter what's happening, okay? No matter what you hear, no matter what you see, promise me that you won't come over there."

"Sydney-" he began.

"I know you, Adrian, better than anyone. You put your heart in everything you do, and because of that, I know that, at the first sign of trouble, you'll want to rush to help me. So I'm begging you. Please, _please_, don't," My eyes brimmed with tears.

He swallowed hard, his emerald eyes full of emotion. Just as the buzzer sounded, he nodded. I tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let me go. His hands had covered mine.

"Adrian," I said softly. He leaned closer to my face, conveying a thousand feelings while saying nothing at all. His eyes told me all that he was feeling. Finally, he let me go, and I felt my heart rate rise as I moved away from him and the fear – no, the terror – really set in.

I moved and knelt beside Marcus.

"You're going to be okay," I told him, though, in truth, I wasn't so sure.

"It's not me that I'm worried about," he said.

Fresh tears sprung to my eyes, and I wondered what kind of opponent Simone would find when she returned to the gym. "You have to live," I said. "You have to hear the message I left for you a few hours ago when I found out you were my brother." It was a feeble attempt to make him smile, and I was relieved when the corners of his lips twitched.

I heard the doors to the gym open, and I rose from my knees. Adrian moved to stand beside me, and I gave him a sideways glance.

"Adrian," Marcus called quietly, as a reminder that he was supposed to stay out of this; it was one of the first times I'd heard him call Adrian by his actual name. Adrian took a seat beside Marcus on the bleachers, though I got the impression he was prepared to spring up at any moment.

Simone's boots clicked as she returned to center court, to stand a few feet in front of me. A cruel smile formed on her glossy lips as she noticed Adrian.

"Oh look," she said, seemingly delighted. "The vampire."

"Decided I'd join the party," Adrian responded. In the low lighting, his fair skin was almost glowing. There was a look of such hatred on his face, I nearly did a double take. I was so used to the warm look is his emerald eyes, I forgot how frightening they could be when they were cold.

Simone turned her attention to me then. "I'm giving you one last chance, Sydney. If you decide not to fight, I'll let your brother and your vampire leave untouched."

I glanced at the two most important men in my life one last time, then turned to face Simone.

"Non iam vide!" I shouted the familiar incantation for the blindness spell, hoping it would buy me enough time to move to a better location. I currently had no opportunity to gain cover. My eyes landed on the open locker room door, and I focused on becoming one with the gym's musty air, as Marcus had taught me. I fixed my thoughts on my destination, and began running toward it, feeling the air lift and move me at super-human speed.

A rush of exhilaration went through me as I ducked behind the door for cover from the multiple curses Simone was hurling at me. At opportune times, I barely threw my hands out from behind the door and shouted another incantation at her. Marcus had told me that there was no knocking Simone out, but I did my best to buy my brother time with my spells, focusing on fighting defensively, rather than offensively. I couldn't force myself to fight to kill, not when that could kill my brother. I used spells to weaken, not injure her.

Still, each time I used a charm, I heard Marcus cry out in pain. It was agonizing, but I knew that I had to tune him out.

Momentarily, the room grew eerily silent, and the fluorescent lighting from the locker room flickered slightly. It made me feel slightly dizzy, and I heard my heart pounding in my ears. I felt a gust of air rush by me, and I spun around to face an empty locker room. Suddenly, I felt the air sucked out of me. It was as though I was being strangled. And then, Simone materialized, quite literally, from the thin air. I realized she been operating under an invisibility charm. Her frosty eyes were wild, alight with hunger and a thirst for power.

I willed myself not to panic. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I felt like I had no oxygen. I tore my gaze from Simone and focused on a florescent light hanging above her. I repeatedly chanted an incantation I'd seen in Sarah's spell diary inside my head. At last, the cord holding the light up snapped and the light crashed down onto the floor, just missing Simone's head. The shattered glass and sparks were enough to interrupt the strangulation spell, and I bolted from the locker room, out onto the empty court. This time, the super speed came more easily to me, and I quickly found myself on the other side of the gym.

Simone stormed out of the locker room, brushing some of the debris of the light off from her shoulders.

I was still gasping for breath, but I stood ready for another attack.

"Let's heat things up a bit, shall we?" She asked.

She shouted an incantation, her throaty voice echoing throughout the entire gym. A wall of fire ignited from one end of the room to the other, separating the two of us.

My blood ran cold, despite the heat from the fire. It was once again hard to breath, not only because of my fear. The fire was sucking up all the oxygen in the room. I could barely see Simone's face through the dancing flames, but I could see that she was laughing – cackling actually – her long dark hair billowing out behind her. Though her face was young and pretty, in this light, her face betrayed the fact that she had lived more than a mere thirty years.

I could feel myself weakening, as I chanted the incantation for the force shield, willing it to happen. I found myself backing further away until I was backed up against the concrete wall of the gym. Finally, my force shield shot out of my hands. Even as it did, I knew that it wasn't as impenetrable as the one I'd created earlier. I could still feel the heat from the fire through the shield, and my head was pounding, a sure sign that I had been using too much magic.

As I forced the shield, I tried to move toward the fire with it, with the hope of pushing Simone back. I succeeded slightly, but it wasn't long before the flames of the fire began to penetrate my shield. I felt my fingers burn, but I refused to back down, knowing that I had to push her back just a little further. She was no longer laughing, but she still smiled, seemingly as sure of herself as she had been the moment she'd first laid eyes on me. My head throbbed, but I continued to work through it, taking slow agonizing steps forward.

Suddenly, Simone dropped her hands, and the fire slowly burned out. I pulled my hands back, releasing my force shield. The exhaustion that followed that release was staggering, and my world was becoming fuzzy. I retained a defensive position, forcing myself to remain upright. When I looked at my hands, they were burned and bloody.

"You know," Simone began, sounding much stronger than I felt, "It's a shame those Alchemists of yours hid your magic from you for so long. Had you learned at a young age, I daresay you might've stood a chance against me. I mean, you wouldn't have ever been strong enough to kill me," she sighed as though she was bored. "But you might've at least given me a bit more of a fight."

Now she began circling me, the same deadly dance she had shown me earlier. I mimicked her motions, ignoring the pain that pulsed throughout my entire body.

"I know what you're doing, you know," she told me. "You're trying not to hurt me because you can't bear the thought of hurting your brother. And that, you see, was my plan all along. I've spared you thus far, little girl." She waved her hand out, and I heard a crack from behind me. I looked up to see the basketball goal falling towards me. I dove to the side just in time, slamming into the edge of the bleachers.

I stood again, my knees shaking, but I was determined to face Simone down. As I looked through the smoky air, I realized that she was no longer standing in the center of the gym.

"Over here," she called playfully.

To my horror, she was now standing by Adrian and Marcus. Marcus was lying back on the bleachers, and I nearly screamed upon seeing him. His clothes were bloody, and his breathing was ragged. He appeared near death. Simone stood seemingly unharmed, because of her ability to heal so quickly. She had one arm wrapped carelessly around Adrian's shoulder, her fingers playing idly with the collar of his shirt.

"No," I muttered, more to myself than her, and I walked toward her.

Simone looked from Adrian to me, "You know that I could just snap my fingers and make him go crazy, right?" Her eyes flooded with a darkness that seemed to be swallowing me whole. "All I have to do is tell him to _amittere sanitatem_, and he won't have a clue who he is, who you are . . . or what you two have."

Adrian tried to squirm away, but Simone muttered an immobility curse, making his efforts useless.

"Sage-" Adrian began, but Simone muttered another incantation, now making it impossible for him to speak. His green eyes widened, and my heart ached for him, even as my fury at Simone grew.

"I told you not to lay a hand on him," I said dangerously, my voice sounding stronger than I felt and echoing in the gym.

"If you don't turn yourself over, Sydney, I'll make your vampire lose his grip on sanity, and I assure you . . . he will never regain it."

I took a step forward.

She made a tsk, tsk noise. "Take one more step, and I'll do it," she said wickedly. "One more step, and you'll lose him forever."

I froze, my chest tightening. I shook my head and stared at her incredulously. "Revenge? Power? Is that truly all that you have to live for?"

"I have nothing left," she said flatly. "Your brother saw to that."

"This is _not_ my brother's fault," I told her angrily, ever aware of how close she was to Adrian. "_You_ are responsible for your choices, your decisions. You chose to hunt me down because of what happened to your husband. It's no one's decision except yours. You've become so twisted by hate that you can't even see reason."

"I loved him!" She shouted, the volume in her voice causing me to flinch. "I loved him, and your brother took him from me! Tell me that you wouldn't go after someone if they took your little vampire from you." She trailed one of her painted fingernails across Adrian's face.

"No," I said. "I would never come after you with the intent to kill you because you killed Adrian," I struggled to sound calm. "But I _am_ going to find a way to kill you because it's the right thing to do. Because you deserve to die, for what you've done to so many innocent people. You're right. I couldn't stand by and let you continue to kill indiscriminately. But it wouldn't be only because of whatever you choose to do to Adrian."

"Then you don't love him," she said simply, smiling cruelly first at Adrian and then at me. "If you would not try to kill me to avenge his death, you clearly care nothing about him."

I laughed harshly. "If you think that's what love is – vengeance – you're _wrong._ Love is forgiveness. Kindness and acceptance. That is something that _you_ clearly care nothing about," I threw her own words back at her

She chuckled and sighed. "I gave you a choice, Sydney, but you've chosen wrong. But you should be grateful to me. Because, at least _you_ won't have to live with the consequences of your stupid choice." She reached up to touch the side of Adrian's head and whispered, "'_amittere sanit_-_"_

"No!" I screamed, hardly recognizing my own voice as I dove for my enemy. Adrian slumped back against the bleacher, and I furiously slammed into Simone, knocking her to the ground. She grabbed my neck, and, as I looked at her, I saw it – my death was in her eyes. She shouted,_ "cor oppilábit,"_ an incantation that was unfamiliar to me. But I knew that, roughly translated, it meant "heart shall stop" in English.

As she had shouted her incantation, I had chanted one of my own. I'd seen it once at the very back of Sarah's spell diary. My mother had written that it should only be used in an emergency; she had written that the magic was dark, but sometimes it was the only resort. It was a curse she'd created herself, so it was one that Simone couldn't have ever heard.

And now, I watched Simone's face pale as our curses collided.

I felt my own magic winning, and a dark blue light erupted from my hands, turning to red as it connected with Simone's chest. The longer the curse flowed, the stronger I felt. And, astonishingly, I saw that Simone was weakening. It was as though I was draining the life from her. I knew that this magic was wrong. I knew that I should stop, but I couldn't. I thought of Adrian's frightened eyes, Marcus' bloody and burned body. The connection between myself and the dying witch grew stronger, and I couldn't take my eyes from hers as I watched them begin to close.

Marcus, I couldn't help thinking. I'm killing Marcus. My own brother.

I felt two arms grab me from behind, but the magic still flowed. But I had to stop, because if I killed her, I would I kill Marcus, too. And I couldn't lose him. He was all I had.

"No," I said, over the noise. "Stop!" I told the magic, as though it might listen, but the curse continued to work against Simone.

And then the light dissipated into thin air. Simone's body went limp beneath me, and I fell back into the arms behind me. The world was growing blurry again, and I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I felt a hand brushing my hair back from my face.

"Sydney," the voice was saying. "Sydney."

"Adrian," I murmured. I felt him lift me from the ground and gently place me elsewhere. I heard muffled, comforting words, and I heard my own heart pounding wildly. I felt the pain in my hands subside, and, for a moment, because of fading pain, I thought that I was the one who had died. The throbbing in my head, constant for the past half hour, vanished completely.

My eyes flew open, and it was as though I'd just awakened after a deep, satisfying night's sleep. I felt renewed, refreshed; I felt invincible. But, as I looked around me, I began to remember where I was and what had happened. I was still in the dark, musty gym. A few feet away from me laid Simone Terwilliger, the witch I had killed. I turned and saw Adrian with his hands on Marcus' chest, healing his wounds. But Marcus' eyes were closed.

"No, no, no," I said, reaching out and taking my brother's hand. I looked up at Adrian, who was concentrating so hard on healing him. "He's dead, isn't he?" I cried. "He's dead. I killed him," Tears spilled down my cheeks. I turned to God, knowing that we needed a miracle that no magic could provide. I hung my head, my tears flooding from my eyes and splashing on the floor of the gym.

"He shouldn't be dead," Adrian suddenly said. "I broke the bond between him and Simone. I tried to tell you when that bitch was holding me, but she jujued me before I could get it out. He's just unconscious. I'm only doing some touch-up healing, to ease his pain when he does wake up."

I shook my head, as the tears continued to coarse down my cheeks.

"He's breathing, Sage," Adrian said, the ghost of a smile flickering across his face.

And then my brother's eyes opened, as alert as ever, and, as I sat there looking into those beautiful blue eyes, I knew that, no matter what anyone said – no matter who had done what, what bonds had been broken or created . . . I knew that God had listened to me, and it was as if a thousand weights had been lifted off of my chest. This entire time I'd been worried about practicing witchcraft, knowing what the Alchemists would think of me. But in that moment, I realized what they thought of me didn't matter. My faith remained intact, as strong as ever. My beliefs were truly my own now, not the Alchemists.

And if need be, I could go on without the Alchemists, because it was my own beliefs that would pull me through.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps, and the gym's door burst open, revealing Eddie, Jill, and Angeline. Eddie and Angeline scanned the room, in their typical guardian fashion, their eyes widening.

Marcus attempted to sit up, and Adrian pushed him back down gently, smiling. "Careful there, Marco. I didn't heal you all the way."

Relief washed over Eddie, Jill, and Angeline's faces, as they realized that it had been a hard fight, but we were okay.

And we always would be, I decided, because we had something that the neither Simone nor the Alchemists had or could ever have. We had each other.

* * *

**This chapter was very hard to write, so I hope you all enjoyed it. If anything feels unexplained, it's meant to be. It'll be cleared up in coming chapters. As always, I love reading your reviews. (:**


	26. Chapter 26 Clarity

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Clarity**

Eddie, Jill, and Angeline embraced me and Adrian equally. Eddie knelt down next to Marcus and the two talked quietly for a moment. Eddie asked if he wanted an ambulance, his protective nature setting in. My brother refused, seeming a bit overwhelmed by all of the attention he was getting.

Meanwhile, Jill moved from where she'd been hugging Adrian to me. I stood up and embraced her. Tears poured out of her light green eyes.

"I was so scared," she told me, pulling back and looking between me and Adrian. "At first I couldn't tell what was going on, but when I could, I thought I was going to lose both of you."

"You won't," I told her firmly, a few tears of my own falling.

Adrian nodded. "Stop being so sappy, Jailbait. It's going to take a lot more than some nasty witch to get rid of me and Sage."

Jill wiped some of her tears and smiled. Then she looked to me, her face flooding with wonder. "Sydney, you were _amazing._"

Eddie helped Marcus to sit up better, and smiled at me. "You really were, from what Jill was telling us."

Angeline smiled. "You sounded like a badass."

I averted my eyes, hoping to hide the horror in them. I didn't want them to see how troubled I was that I'd killed someone, evil or not. I'd never thought my hands would shed blood. I never thought they'd willing use magic to kill someone, even out of self-defense. I put on a brave face and met my "family's" eyes again.

"Maybe," I teased.

Eddie frowned, looking at Simone's body. "What should we do with the body?"

Marcus answered and his voice was hoarse. "Sydney's Alchemist potion won't get rid of it, because Simone's human, in spite of everything. For future reference, don't ever call the guardians if you have a dead witch or warlock. Our people will see that you pay if you do."

Eddie tensed. "Why is that?"

"We like to blend in, just like vampires. I'm uneasy with all of you knowing about our world, but I know that you have too. And I trust that none of you will let word get out, because I believe all of you understand the importance of keeping a secret." He looked at Jill pointedly. "Jill's last name isn't Melrose, it's _Dragomir_, as in the Moroi queen. I'll honor my promise to stay silent if all of you honor your own."

Angeline glared at Marcus. "Since when do you get to uphold conditions?"

"And how do we know that you'll honor your promise?" Eddie asked. "Why should you? You're an ex-Alchemist that's on the run. What loyalty do you have to us?"

Marcus' eyes widened a bit, and I got the impression that Eddie's words had stung him. "I broke my promise to the Alchemists because they broke their promise to me. I wouldn't break a promise I made to any of you unless you give me reason."

Angeline frowned. "What promise did they-"

"He won't say anything," I said sternly, hoping to silence the questioning.

Angeline crossed her arms. "Why do you trust him?"

"Because he's my brother," I said flatly. A long, awkward silence followed my words.

"Put it out there, Sage," Adrian remarked.

Eddie, Angeline and Jill looked back and forth between me and Marcus.

"I can see it," Jill said. Angeline nodded.

Eddie studied me and Marcus for a moment. "Me too," he finally concluded.

Adrian groaned. "Congratulations, you guys have made a scientific breakthrough: Siblings look alike. You're all on your way to a Nobel Peace Prize."

Marcus smiled, despite the pain he had to be in, and looked at Eddie, Jill, and Angeline in turn. "I'm sure Sydney will explain everything to all of you soon."

"Looking forward to it," I muttered to myself.

"But," Marcus continued, "For now Sydney needs some peace, Adrian needs some liquor, and I need some pain pills."

"And the body?" Adrian asked, giving it a disgusted look. "Can't we just toss the bitch in the desert or something?"

"Adrian," Eddie said, disapprovingly.

"What?" Adrian asked, crossing his arms. "We could use a cactus for a tombstone. Maybe a rattlesnake as a decoration."

Marcus shook his head and sighed. "I'll call the coven when I get home."

"_I'll_ do it," I said empathetically. "You need to rest."

Eddie frowned. "_I'll_ do it. I can tell them the gist of what happened. Adrian, why don't you give Marcus a ride home? Sydney, I'm sure you'll probably want to go with him. The three of you have handled enough tonight. Let me take care of the rest."

Marcus studied Eddie, seeming to be pondering whether he was trustworthy. His gaze fell on me then, and I gave him a small nod, reassuring him that Eddie was reliable. Marcus finally gave him Wolfe's phone number. Adrian and Eddie helped him into the back of Adrian's mustang. Eddie waved bye to us and went back to the gym. My hands shook as I was about to open the passenger door of Adrian's car.

"Sage?" Adrian asked, looking over to me, from where he stood about to climb in the driver's side. His eyes were filled with understanding. "We're going to talk, okay?"

I nodded, and got inside of the mustang.

"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital? It's possible that you could be bleeding internally, and that Adrian wouldn't have been able to tell of course. The nearest hospital is only about 4.8 miles away, according to Adrian's GPS," I informed Marcus, once we were on the road. He had a complexion as tan as mine, but because of his wounds, he was nearly as pale as Adrian. I'd been ponding him with questions of this nature for the last five minutes.

"I'm _fine_, Sydney," Marcus said, a bit crisply. He was stretched out in the backseat as comfortably as he could manage in his wounded state. I wasn't certain this was wise considering all that Marcus had been through tonight, but he insisted he didn't want medical attention. He said he needed a few days to rest and his body would heal on its own.

"Tonight turned out pretty well, all things considered," Adrian mused, turning his blinker on and making a sharp right turn with ease. "I mean, things could be a lot worse. You and Marco could be dead and I could be crazy. You're fine, Marco's a little banged up, and I'm sane."

"The last statement's debatable," Marcus said.

"Funny," Adrian responded.

I sighed, trying not to focus on the events of tonight. My hands were clenched in my lap, and I felt sick. I felt dirty, like I needed a shower that could somehow wash away what I'd seen. I wanted to forget tonight had ever happened and go on with my life. I wanted to lock these memories away in a drawer and hide the key from myself so that I'd never have to relive them.

I'd put on a brave face for Jill, Eddie and Angeline back at the gym, and I was trying to do the same with my brother in the car. Marcus handled things so well; I didn't want him to think of me as his weak little sister. I wanted to be as strong as he was. Even now, in as much pain as he had to be in, he remained silent and composed. I needed a distraction. Luckily, Adrian had been chattering while my thoughts had been spinning out. I tuned back in, and as soon as I did, I almost wished I hadn't.

"For the love of God will you shut up?" Marcus snapped at Adrian.

"Marcus!" I chastised.

"He talks too much," Marcus grumbled, as an explanation. I sighed and shook my head.

Adrian glanced to me from the driver's seat, feigning confusion. "I'm getting the distinct impression that he doesn't want me to talk, Sage. Am I just being overly sensitive? It wouldn't be the first time."

Marcus leaned his head back, like he was looking at the sky, though I knew he couldn't see it in the car.

"Sydney, I know some nice warlocks that aren't nearly as verbose. I could always introduce you," my brother said.

I didn't bother responding. Finally, I decided to just find a change of topic.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you were my brother," I told Marcus.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Please, don't start."

"The news is probably a little shocking to her, Marco," Adrian said.

"It's _Marcus_," my brother snapped, not at all in a good mood. "And I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"You're not very nice where you're injured," Adrian said, smirking. "And you still haven't thanked me for healing you tonight."

"I'll thank you when I'm actually better."

Adrian chuckled. "Don't be too bitter Marco, your inner Alchemist is showing through. Wouldn't you agree, Sage?"

"Does he have something against calling people by their real names?" Marcus asked wearily.

"I like to be original," Adrian shot back.

"Oh," Marcus grumbled, and I was pretty sure his sarcasm could've taken the paint off of Adrian's car. "My mistake."

Adrian chuckled. "You're so much more entertaining when you're pissed off. I bet you're really something when you're drunk."

"_Marcus_ doesn't drink," I told Adrian pointedly, smiling.

"Not anymore," the ex-Alchemist muttered.

"You used to drink?" I was surprised. Seeing the look Adrian cut me, I added, "Not that there's anything wrong with it."

Marcus nodded, shifting into a more upright position, wincing in pain. "When I first left the Alchemists I went on a bit of a . . . rebellion. I'd had so many rules for my entire life, when I got a taste of freedom . . . well, I couldn't get enough. I did some things I'm not very proud of. The good thing is that I don't remember most of them."

Adrian laughed. "You should write a novel as the memories slowly come back to you. You could call it Marcus Finch: The Lost Days."

A small smile began to form on my brother's lips. "I doubt that it would sell very many copies. And it would probably be banned in most countries." He frowned. "I kind of hit rock-bottom for a little while there."

"What made you bounce back?" Adrian asked, having grown serious.

Marcus smiled, his blue eyes softening. "I found out that I had a sister. So, I pulled my shit together and tried to become someone she'd want as an older brother."

I turned my head to get a better look at him. "I would've taken you either way," was all I could say. I tried to hide the tears in my eyes, but I failed, thinking of how close he'd come to dying tonight. My emotions were all over the place tonight. I was exhausted too, which didn't help matters.

"Look at what you did," Adrian fake scolded, shaking his head. "You made her cry."

"So now you can swoop in with your so-called charm and make her feel better then," Marcus responded dryly.

"_So-called_ charm? I must not have healed your head all the way. Sage, maybe we should take him to the emergency room. He's not well enough to make good judgments."

"You're one to talk," Marcus pointed out.

I leaned my head against the window, sighing. It was remarkable, really. A moment ago, Marcus and Adrian were at each other's throats and now they were trading sarcastic comments. I couldn't help but smile as I watched Adrian slowly win Marcus over, the way he did everyone. Something told me that Adrian had won my brother over a long time ago though, when he'd shown how much he cared for me.

When we arrived at Marcus' apartment, Marcus leaned his weight on Adrian and me to better get inside. He seemed absolutely humiliated having to do so, but was in too much pain to do otherwise. We helped him get comfortable in bed, and I gave him a bottle of ibuprofen, some water, and some hydrogen peroxide for some of his cuts that were still open. Adrian had healed most of the exterior wounds, so most of the pain was in Marcus' muscles and such.

"Ibuprofen, Sage? That's not going to do anything," Adrian said, coming back from kitchen with some leftover pizza he'd found in the refrigerator. He handed it to Marcus, who took it gratefully.

"It'll take the edge off," I insisted. I turned to Marcus. "I'm going to look through Sarah's spell diary when I get home and see if I can find a potion that'll make you heal quicker."

"Sarah?" Marcus asked, his eyes widening in wonder. "As in . . . our mother?"

I froze, remembering that Marcus had probably never seen a picture of her, let alone learned very much about her. He only knew of our father.

"Yeah," I breathed. "She left me her spell book, like how Michael left you his." I walked over to his desk where I'd left the pictures of our parents side by side earlier this evening. I grabbed some tape and taped the two torn ends together. For a moment I stood there, taking in the semblance. Our parents were finally together again, as was our family. My hands shook as I handed Marcus the photograph. He seemed just as struck by the photo as I was.

He looked up to me. "We're going to have to talk soon, you know." His voice was quiet, still hoarse. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me."

I nodded. "And you promise to answer them this time?"

He smiled. "I promise."

Adrian and I bid Marcus goodbye, and I told him that I'd come by sometime tomorrow with a potion to help. Adrian and I stepped out into the cool night air, and then got into his mustang. I was buckled and ready to go just as Adrian closed his door. I had already wrapped my arms around myself, the terror of tonight's events setting back in.

"Do you think Marcus will be okay?" I asked in an emotionless voice. "Alone, I mean."

Adrian nodded. "He's been on his own for three years, Sage. He can take care of himself for one night. I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about _you._ Are you going to be okay?"

I swallowed, hard. "I'm sure the witch club got rid of the body."

"Sydney, look at me."

I waited a moment, and then reluctantly turned so that I was facing him. "Something's wrong with me," I told him. "You saw me. I couldn't stop the curse."

"You tried," he said seriously. "Something's wrong with the curse you cast. Nothing's wrong with you."

I shook my head, and clenched my jaw, having nothing else to say. I fiddled with my fingers and stared out of the window. When we were supposed to turn right, Adrian took a left.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He didn't answer, but pulled into a pizza delivery restaurant. He got out of the car and went inside. When he returned a few minutes later, he had a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza in one hand, and a box of pizza in the other. He climbed in the car and handed the box to me.

"What is this for?" I asked.

He swallowed a bite and pulled back on the road. "It's food. Most people eat it, unless they're like you, and feel the need to have a staring contest with it. Eat, Sage. You've got to be hungry."

I looked down at it, knowing that it was full of calories. Still, I opened up the box and pulled a slice out. Something as routine as eating helped to calm my nerves. Adrian turned the radio up and let me have a little bit of time to think for myself. When he took a right turn instead of a left, I began to question his state of mind.

"Amberwood's back that way," I said.

"We're not going to Amberwood," he informed me. "We're going back to my apartment."

"Are you afraid of leaving me alone?" I asked crossly.

"No, I just don't want you to be."

Any protests I had fell silent after that.

When we arrived at his apartment, he pushed the door open and flipped some of the lights on in the living room. I felt oddly cold, and Adrian surprised me when he returned with a hot cup of coffee and a blanket.

"Thank you," I said, letting some of the warm coffee moisten my dry throat. He took a seat beside me on the couch and turned the TV on and muted it.

"You're welcome," he said.

I took another sip of the coffee. "How did you know where were tonight? How did you know that Marcus and I were in the gym?" Now that I was calming down, and didn't have to put up any fronts for anyone, I could ask logical questions.

"You called me," Adrian said. "And then you didn't say anything, so I got worried and drove back just to make sure everything was okay. When I got to the school . . . I could sense something . . . I could sense some sort of magic I didn't recognize. Then I followed my senses, which led me to the gym."

I knew for a fact I hadn't called him. I remembered when Simone had thrown my phone out in the hall. By some miracle, when my phone had hit the concrete floor, it must have dialed Adrian.

"How did you break the bond between Simone and Marcus?" I asked. That was a question I had absolutely no answer for.

Adrian frowned, and leaned further back into the ugly plaid sofa, resting his hands behind his head. "To be truthful . . . I don't really have any kind of scientific explanation for it. The more and more I kept healing Marcus, the more he said he could feel the connection between him and Simone weakening. It was kind of like my magic . . . cancelled Simone's magic out."

I made a mental note to look into this later. I could ask the witch club if they'd ever heard of such things.

"Well, I'm glad you were able to break it," I told him. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't."

"You had to kill her you know," he said honestly. "You didn't have a choice."

I gave a soft laugh. "I just never . . . I never expected my life to turn out like this," I admitted quietly.

"What did you expect?" He asked.

I turned on the couch and pulled my knees up to my chest, facing him. "I assumed I'd live a life just like the rest of the Alchemists."

"Do you wish that you were living a life like that?"

I sighed, and rested my head on top of my knees. "Sometimes . . . but then I think about this life. Every day I learn something. And not something I can learn from a textbook. Every day I experience something different, every day I feel something that I've never felt before."

"And you like learning," he stated, a smile beginning to form on his lips.

I felt a smile forming on my own. "I love it." Then I felt myself frowning. "There's something that I can't stop thinking about."

"Me?" He winked.

I shook my head. "When I . . . killed . . . her, the cuts on my hands healed. I didn't think spirit users could heal from that far away. How did you manage to do it?"

Adrian stilled. "I didn't heal you, Sage."

I grimaced. "But you had to . . . I mean, I couldn't have healed myself." My pulse was starting to race. I'd known something had gone wrong with the curse I'd used; I'd known that it was powerful dark magic. Slowly, I reached inside of my purse and pulled out Sarah's spell diary. I flipped through the thin pages, until I reached the very last one. The curse was written in Latin but roughly translated to Rebound Curse. As I read on, it became clear that the title was fitting. The curse was designed to push whatever curse your opponent was using back at them with twice as much force. That meant I'd stopped Simone's heart, like she had intended to do to me. So why had the magic connected to her the way it had? Why had the burns on my hands healed? Why had I felt so much stronger after it?

Slowly, I set the spell diary down, and thought the incantation for the spell to remove all light from a room. Almost instantaneously, every electrical appliance in Adrian's apartment turned off. We were sitting in the darkened room, the only illumination the moonlight steaming through the windows. My hands began to shake, as I realized what had happened when I'd cast the curse tonight.

"Sage?" Adrian asked. "What happened to my electricity?" He looked at me more closely, then reached out and cupped my face in his hands. "What is it?"

"When a magic user kills another magic user, they take over their power source. That was why I couldn't let go of the curse tonight. I was absorbing Simone's power." I should have realized it sooner, but I'd been so focused on trying to forget tonight, I hadn't.

"So you're . . . you're as powerful as she was?"

I nodded, as his hands fell away from my face. "I don't want her power. I never did. There's got to be some way to get rid of it. No one should have this much power."

"It's better in your hands than it was in hers," he said calmly.

"It's _wrong,_" I insisted. "Simone was evil because she lost herself in her magic. I don't want to be like her." Fear coursed through my veins. I remembered the cold, hungry look in her eyes. I was terrified of seeing that look in my own.

"Simone was evil because she lost herself in hatred. Besides, it's not how much power you have that makes you good or evil, Sage. It's how you use your power that matters."

"No," I murmured, shaking my head.

"You're going to be fine," he said soothingly.

"How do you know?" I asked, struck by the confidence I heard in his voice.

"Because I know you," he said simply. "You'll never lose yourself in magic because power holds no value to you. You value different things; things like honesty, kindness, strength. Weak people abuse power, because it makes them feel strong. They hide behind it. The very fact that you're worried about abusing yours is proof of how different you are from Simone. She never would've worried about having too much power." He reached out and lifted my face to his with a gentle finger under my chin. "You know I'm right."

The moonlight cast shadows on the planes of his handsome face as I gazed up at him. His eyes were so sincere, so intense. He did nothing to hide the unguarded admiration he felt for me. It was there on his face, in his eyes. The warmth of his gaze was almost tangible as he returned his hands to each side of face. Unable to resist, I closed my eyes and allowed the warmth to wash over me.

"I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here," I told him when I opened my eyes. "Or what I would've done if you hadn't been there tonight to break the bond. You saved me . . . you saved everyone," I told him sincerely, as his gaze once again held mine. He had saved Marcus from certain death, and he had saved me from losing my brother and having to live with the fact that I had killed my own brother.

"No," he said modestly, averting his eyes, though he continued to cup my face in his hands. He couldn't accept praise. It was something I understood all too well.

I shook my head. "The greatest heroes never take credit," I mused quietly.

He dropped his hands from my face, much to my dismay, as he continued to avoid my gaze. "I'm no hero, Sage."

"You are," I insisted softly. "To me."

He looked at me again, this time a look of disbelief on his face. He studied me for a moment, almost as though he expected me to take it back, or possibly laugh, because I had been teasing him. When my gaze held his steadily, I saw the realization that I meant what I had said begin to sink in.

His expression changed, and a look of determination replaced the wonder that had been there only moments before. Suddenly, as if some unseen bonds had fallen away, he reached for me and pulled me toward him.

His lips met mine forcefully, startling me with the intensity of his kiss. His body was tense, and his lips were insistent, as I sensed – and felt – no hesitation. I returned his kiss eagerly, straining against him as he leaned into me, pushing me back into the deep cushions of the couch. He managed to quickly move the blanket away from me with one fluid movement, and before I had even taken a breath, I found myself lying back on the couch, with his body pressed full length against mine. One hand had moved to the back of my neck and he knotted his fingers through my hair. His other hand moved down my side to my hip, and I felt even the slightest resistance I might have felt slip away. Nothing mattered in that moment except the feel of his lips, the strength of his body as he moved against me.

As his kiss deepened, I was shocked by my body's involuntary response to him. Here and now, there was no reasoning . . . no methodical analysis of the why's and how's. Adrian wrapped his arms around me, pulling me along as he sat up. I found myself sitting on his lap, my legs wrapped around him, as his hands made quick work of undoing the buttons of my jacket. He pushed my jacket from my shoulders, and I moved my arms from around his neck only long enough to shrug out of it. His lips moved from mine to my cheek and then my neck, as he murmured my named, his breath hot against my skin.

I tried to loosen the buttons of his shirt, but I was unable to steady my shaking hands. As his lips returned to mine, I could sense that he was amused by my clumsiness, even as he somehow managed to undo the buttons himself and shake free of his shirt. I briefly marveled at his ability to do this without the warmth of his hands ever leaving my body. Filled with wonder, I slowly moved my hands down his bare chest before wrapping both arms around him and pulling him closer as I clutched the taut muscles of his back. Lost in the incredible feelings that were coursing through my body, I hardly noticed when Adrian removed my shirt and it feel to the floor. Soon, other articles of clothing joined it there.

Effortlessly, Adrian stood up, holding me in his arms. For a moment, our eyes met, as though each of us waited for the other to protest. But there would be no protest as he strode toward his bedroom. He kicked the door open, but I hardly noticed. He leaned over, laying me gently down on his bed. I reached for him, and the gentleness was once again replaced by an indescribable hunger that both of us felt. He laid down on top of me, pushing me down in the soft mattress. His kisses were filled with such passion and emotion that I felt breathless and unable to speak. I couldn't tell him to stop; instead, I felt as though I might die if he did stop. I was inexperienced, so I was unsure what to do, but I followed my instincts. I knew that there was no way I could displease him. His lips were strong, and the emotion in his eyes was raw and unchecked. I found myself reminded of his art. His kisses conveyed what words could never say. Just as his brush created works of art, his lips moved against me, saying all the things he had never dared say. And, yet, I heard him so loudly, so clearly, that I thought my heart would burst. I felt tears spring to my eyes at the intensity of my feelings in that moment.

Then, like a shard of ice dropping onto a burning flame and fizzling, it occurred to me.

"Stop," I said against his lips.

He obeyed immediately, pulling back to look down into my eyes. "What's wrong?" He breathed, obviously confused by my mixed signals. His face was flushed, and his eyes were almost wild in the darkened room.

"Jill," I whispered.

He understood my concern, even as it clearly frustrated him. "Reinforce the charm Marcus put on your necklace earlier," he said, "the one that blocked her out of my head. Do you remember the spell?"

I bit my lip, taking my golden cross necklace that was still around his neck, into my hands. "Yes." I muttered the incantation, and I felt it work at a startling speed, as my new power source sent a rush of heat through my veins. I almost reached out to pull Adrian back to me, but something inside of me directed me to control my raging hormones. Suddenly, inexplicably, my feelings changed. I felt ashamed of the way I'd lost control. That just moments ago I had been ready to surrender myself completely to Adrian. What was I thinking? This was incredibly irresponsible. And, the thought crept unwillingly into my head . . . Adrian had now seen me almost naked. That thought alone was enough to make me want to jump up and bolt.

As if sensing my discomfort, Adrian said, "We don't have to, you know." He shifted from atop me and laid beside me, still looking down at me with longing in those beautiful eyes. "I mean, I'm not going to tell you I don't want to, because I do. But not until you're ready."

At that moment, I felt my feelings for him grow even more intense. I moved to rest my head on his shoulder. "I'm not," I whispered, saying the words neither of us wanted to hear.

"Then that's that," he said simply. He reached down and pulled the covers up over us, then wrapped his arm around me, pulling me back to rest my head on his shoulder.

"It's not that I don't want to though," I said uneasily, afraid that my abrupt change of heart had hurt him.

He chuckled. "I know, Sage. I can see your aura, remember?"

I flushed. "Oh."

He pulled me closer and lightly kissed my bare shoulder. He laid his head down, his disheveled hair tickling my shoulder and neck. I could feel his breath, hot on my skin.

"I love you, Sydney," he murmured.

His words sent a shock-wave through me, and I pulled away to look at him. "That's the first time you've ever told me that," I said, my voice sounding far too loud in the still room.

He pulled back too so that he could better face me. He lightly stroked my cheek, smiling an oddly sheepish smile. "No it's not. I told you once before, when I helped you to your room, after Sonya and Mikhail's wedding."

The memory came back to me then, first as the God-forsaken Kahlua, which I'd been trying to forget. But the memory flooded back as a pair of long arms lifting me up, and a soft voice whispering the words "I love you, Sydney." The next morning, I'd written them off as something I'd imagined drunk, but now, I knew that hadn't been the case.

"Why did you say it then?" I asked.

He averted his eyes. "Because I knew you wouldn't remember it."

I shook my head, reaching out toward his face. "I . . ." I couldn't get the words out. They were stuck in my throat. I'd never said those three words to anyone outside of my family. "I'm sorry," I finally said miserably, hoping that he understood.

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I can see your aura, remember?" He yawned, and I moved closer to him, snuggling into his chest, willing myself to remember every single moment of this night. The softness of his eyes and skin . . . the sound of his voice . . . the taste of his lips. But, most of all, the warm feeling of safety and security he had given me. The power in being certain that there truly wasn't anyone else who understood me the way he did . . . maybe there never would be.

I was beginning to sense, in the deep recesses of my mind that there was, after all, a way out of the Alchemists' way of life. I knew that there would be some difficult times ahead. The road to freedom would be long, and it wouldn't be easy. It would be an excruciatingly painful journey, during which I would need to rely on memories of moments like this to carry me through. I knew that as long as I remembered this night, the way that I felt and the woman I was when I was with Adrian . . . in the end, I might finally be free to follow the path I chose and to choose what I wanted out of life – whatever that was. And I had something I hadn't had until this moment. I had clarity. While I didn't know exactly what has ahead or how things would go, I was sure of one thing, without any doubt whatsoever. I knew that it was possible for me to realize my dreams and have what I wanted.

And I wanted Adrian.

* * *

**Who knew such hot things could begin on Adrian's ugly plaid sofa? Haha. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. (:**


	27. Chapter 27 A Change Of Heart

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**A Change of Heart**

I'd never really been the sneaky type. Sure, in recent months I'd broken into my father's office and a fashion shop, but those situations weren't exactly relevant to my current scenario. In Adrian's bedroom, it was still dark, the sun just barely starting to peek over the Palm Springs horizon. I could feel his silk sheets pressing against every inch of my bare skin. And I had a lot of bare skin, which was probably why I nearly gasped when I first woke up. My usual bedroom attire consisted of long pajama pants, and a nice shirt. This morning however, I was in nothing more than what I'd been in last night when Adrian and I had stopped . . . giving into our hormones.

A flush spread across me in the darkened room, and I tried my best to keep my mind clear. I needed an efficient and speedy escape route. Luckily, Adrian slept in some of the strangest positions I'd ever seen, so his arm was no longer around me. He had twisted around in the sheets overnight, and had stolen them from me about three times. He didn't snore, but his chest rose and fell heavily. He was facing me but his eyes were peacefully closed. He looked so calm and content, I could've laid here and watched him all morning, taking in the warm feelings it stirred within me.

He'd told me he loved me last night, I remembered.

I sighed, feeling my flush deepen. I really did need to get out of here, not because I didn't want to be around Adrian, but because I was afraid to be. I needed some time on my own. I needed some time to clear my head of feel of his skin, the taste of his lips, and the sound of his voice. Slowly and carefully, I pulled back what little of the sheets still covered me. I rose myself up from the bed and slipped out of his room, tiptoeing as though that would help.

When I was in the living room, I relaxed a little more, but still moved quickly as I put on my clothes from last night. I felt horrible doing so, but it was better than the alternative. Once I was dressed, I grabbed a brush from my purse, and ran it through my disheveled hair. It didn't do much, but it was better than nothing. I quietly made my way to the door, but froze as it started to unlock.

The door to Adrian's apartment opened, and Eddie stood in front of me, holding the spare key. I quickly pushed him out onto the sidewalk, and closed the door to Adrian's apartment behind us. A long, and immensely awkward silence fell. Eddie assessed the situation as he would've a room full of Strigoi: with caution.

I felt heat flooding all over my skin, from embarrassment. "This isn't what it looks like," I said lamely.

"Really?" Eddie inquired. "Because it looks like you're sneaking out." He crossed his arms. "Now I know why Adrian hasn't been answering his phone," he muttered.

"I'm _not_ sneaking out," I snapped in a hopeless attempt to defend my honor. "I was just . . . leaving."

"Without a car?" Eddie dangled the keys to Latte in front of my face.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Please don't tell anyone."

He watched me for a moment, thinking about whether he should agree to silence or not. "Well, I think Jill already knows," he finally said, and his tone was a bit crisp. "Whatever you and Adrian were doing last night through the bond . . . influenced her course of action."

"Influenced her course of action?" I asked, confused.

Eddie gave one hard nod. "Angeline went back to the dorm a little bit before Jill and me. So, I was alone with Jill when you and Adrian…did whatever it was you did."

I stared.

"She kissed me," Eddie said bluntly. "_Really_ kissed me. Right in the middle of the Amberwood parking lot."

"There were no students or staff around, were there?"

"No," Eddie confirmed.

I felt a small smile begin to form on my lips. "Well, I'm sure that you're really upset she kissed you. I apologize for finally getting the two of you somewhere."

"It was only because of the feelings she felt through the bond though, Sydney!" Eddie let out. His hazel eyes were filled with pain. "She claimed otherwise, but I know how those bonds work."

I shook my head incredulously, and decided to come clean. "She likes you, Eddie. She likes you a lot. I know she's telling the truth, because she's told me before. I didn't tell you because I had to keep her secret, and I couldn't tell her that you liked her because I had to keep your secret." I really wished I didn't have to deal with this right now. I would have much rather been at home in my dorm, cleaning or reading or something calming like that.

Eddie's face transformed, all pain fading from his eyes. Something like happiness flickered in the depths of them.

"Please don't tell anyone?" I asked, taking advantage of his stunned state.

He came back down to earth and gave me a level look. "By agreeing to stay silent, I'm not saying that I approve of this sort of behavior."

I nearly laughed. "I understand."

Eddie nodded, smiling. "All right. I'll keep quiet. Let me ask Adrian what I need to, and then I'll give you a ride back to Amberwood."

"Can't you just give me the keys to Latte and get a ride back from Adrian?" I gave Eddie a sincere look. "I really need to get out of here. _Please._"

Eddie rolled his eyes and tossed the keys over. "I was going to ask Adrian if he wanted to have a get together over here tonight. Jill and Angeline really want me to make some cookies, because I made the mistake of admitting I knew how to the other day."

I stifled a laugh.

"Besides, it seems like having a little Melrose family time would be a good way to move on from everything that's happened recently. Jill's kidnapping. Simone."

"So . . . all of our bad memories will be erased because of your cookies?"

Eddie grinned. "They _are_ pretty good. I'll text you with the details about tonight. I'll probably hang out with Adrian for the rest of the day and let you bring Jill and Angeline over later, if that's all right?"

"That's fine," I assured him, actually looking forward to the get together, albeit the fact that I'd have to face Adrian.

"You could invite your brother too, you know," Eddie said kindly. "If he would want to come."

I smiled. "Are we going to adopt him and change his last name to Melrose too?"

Eddie shrugged. "Why not? We took in a dhampir who thought a luxury house was a cave. We can take in an ex-Alchemist."

He had a point. "All right, I'll invite him." Eddie and I bid each other goodbye, and I got into Latte.

"I've missed you," I told her.

If Latte could've spoken, I was pretty sure she would've said "I've missed you too."

As I pulled out of Adrian's apartment complex, I made a spur of the moment decision in an attempt to save myself some time. I stopped by a gas station to get two cups of coffee, and then I found myself outside of my real brother's apartment. I didn't have a potion to speed up his healing process yet, but I _did_ have coffee.

I knocked on Marcus' door, hoping that he was awake. "It's me," I called. "I have coffee."

"Come in," he called back, after a few moments.

I entered his apartment, and made my way down the hallway toward his bedroom and pushed the door open slowly.

Marcus shifted where he lay in bed to sit up further. He winced in pain but appeared to be all right otherwise. Looking at him now, with a clearer mind than last night, I wondered how I'd never noticed the striking resemblance between us. He had the same dark blonde hair, the same straight nose. Our eyes were very different colors, but even so, they somehow looked alike too. It was almost as if I were staring into a mirror. I walked over to hand him his coffee, and he took it gratefully. He started to speak, but stopped, looking at me curiously.

"Aren't those the same clothes you had on last night?"

Color flooded my cheeks for what felt like the hundredth time today. "No."

Marcus' frown began to transform into a smirk. "I have a photographic memory, just for future reference."

"Good to know," I muttered.

It was silent for a little bit, and Marcus looked uneasy. I shared his discomfort. What were you supposed to say to your estranged, long lost sibling?

"How are you doing?" I finally asked.

"I'm healing but it feels like it's taking forever. It's maddening lying around like this though. I've already gone through every single interesting book on my shelves. _Twice."_

I smiled. "I thought you might say that." I reached into my purse and pulled out Sarah's spell diary. I walked over to hand it to Marcus. "It belonged to my mom," I said, and then frowned. "Well, _our _mom . . ." I corrected.

That got a small smile out of him, and he set the book gently down on the bed beside him. A few moments of awkward silence passed, and I took a deep breath.

"Well, I just wanted to give you some new reading material," I said formally. I didn't want to intrude or seem pushy, so I began to make my way out of the door. "I'll see you around."

"Sydney, wait," he called. I turned to face him, again.

"We need to talk, you know that, right?" He asked.

I sighed. "Yes. I know. You're going to have to lead this conversation though," I told him. "I'm not good at this sort of thing."

He chuckled. "All right. The first step is you need to sit down. You're making me nervous pacing around like you are."

I grabbed a chair from under his desk and scooted up to the side of the bed.

"Better," he said. He eyed me. "Our hair's almost the exact same color."

I nodded. "Mhm . . ."

More awkward silence. Both of us took sips of our coffee. Eventually, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you were my brother!" I finally said, exasperated.

Marcus sighed tiredly. "I thought you were going to let _me_ lead the conversation."

"Why _didn't_ you tell me?" I asked him earnestly, leaning forward. "Why would you keep something like that from me?" His keeping our relation a secret confused me. Why wouldn't he have wanted to tell me? Did he meet me and decide that he didn't want me as his sister after all?

"You already had a lot going on," he told me, though something in his eyes let me know that wasn't the complete truth. "I didn't want you to have to handle anything else."

"There's more to it than that," I said. "Let's just be completely truthful with each other, please. No more lies. I've had enough of them."

"Eddie's more like your brother than me," Marcus said suddenly.

I frowned. "He's more _like_ my brother in some ways because I've known him longer, but he isn't actually my brother. You know that right? You took genetics, correct?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Marcus didn't laugh. He didn't even smile.

"Marcus . . ." I began, not really sure what to say. This was too much for a borderline socially inept person like myself.

He averted his eyes from me, looking shy. He gave a soft humorless laugh. "Well, let's be honest, I've got a lot of skeletons in my closet . . ."

"We all do," I told him, though I meant that purely in the metaphorical sense. I certainly hoped I didn't know anyone with an actual skeleton in their closet.

He looked up at me. "No, no. Come on. Let's be serious Sydney. I've fallen in love with a vampire who was then murdered, betrayed an entire organization, and killed somebody. I thought you'd be . . . better off not knowing who I was, I guess? I'm not exactly the best influence. I used to be a really good one, or so everyone thought, but I'm not anymore. I'm a runaway who doesn't spend more than a week in one place. You were right when you said I wasn't free. I'm not. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder. Even without the lily on my cheek, my life still isn't my own."

I stared incredulously, and Marcus turned his head from me. "Hey," I said, attempting to sound calm in the face of his uncharacteristic outburst. I laid my hand over his in comfort, trying to get his attention. He turned his head back.

"No one is better off without their family," I said seriously, leaving no room for argument. "No matter what."

He gave a small smile, and then shook his head. "I don't want this life I'm living to become yours. You deserve better."

I couldn't hide my surprise. "But . . . you've wanted me to leave the Alchemists since the start . . ." I didn't think he'd really considered what'd I'd said that day when we'd argued.

"That day at Wolfe's you were right. You shouldn't leave the way I have. You can't. Sometimes I . . . well, I wish that I hadn't. If you leave them like I have, you'll hate them so much that your hate can blind you to the fact that they're still people, and that some of them are good. Your hate can cloud your vision of everything and everyone around you. Hate can cloud how you see yourself."

"_You_ don't hate yourself, do you?" I asked, catching his insinuation.

His blue eyes, that looked so much like our fathers, flashed with pain. "_They_ hate _me,_" he muttered, "so it's hard not to hate myself sometimes."

"And by doing that you're giving them exactly what they want," I told him. "They don't hate you. They hate what they're too close-minded to understand. Besides . . ." I paused, trying to figure out how best to phrase my next words. "Even though it's tough, you need to realize that people who are so set in their ways, they torture those that don't agree, aren't the kind of people you want to like you. It says more about you as a person that they disapprove of you. It only says less about you as an Alchemist."

He smiled. "You've certainly had a change of mind."

I sighed. "More of a change of heart."

Marcus shifted to sit up a little better. "What did it?" He asked me curiously. "What finally made you open your eyes to what they were?"

I looked off, staring at nothing in particular as I spoke. "I can't really say that it was one thing. It was a collection of secrets that were kept and lies that were told. Although, now that I think about it, there were two people made me see reason." I turned to him. "Adrian and you."

"Well, at least I did something worthwhile here," Marcus muttered dryly, though by the way his eyes lit up, I could tell he was trying not to let the pride he felt over my statement show. He looked up. "What was it that I said?"

"It wasn't really anything you said. It was more . . . well, when I first met you, I kind of felt like you hated the Alchemists, that you were bitter, and resentful. And you are in a lot of ways. But as I got to know you I realized that you hadn't left them without remorse, without thinking twice. I realized that you weren't just a radical rebel. You left them the way you did as a last resort. If you'd seen another way, you would've done something else instead."

Marcus smiled. "And Adrian?"

I looked down. "Adrian just sort of . . . surprised me. At first he got on my nerves, to be completely honest. I thought he was selfish and immature, but I never thought he was unable to change. And as I got to know him . . . I saw that a lot of his behavior was a front. I saw that he wasn't cold like the Alchemists had always painted vampires to be. He was warm, and caring, and loyal, no matter what he liked to make people believe. And . . . he was _so_ truthful. I'd never met anyone so honest before; I'd never met anyone that could pour their heart out so completely. It scared me, and it still does sometimes. I'm used to being able to understand things. And Adrian, though I know him better than anyone, everyday it seems as though he reveals another layer of himself, another spark of good in him that's struggling to be shown." I took a deep breath after my speech, surprised that I'd said something like that out loud.

Marcus' face was blank. "Do you and Adrian ever argue?"

"Every now and then," I told him, confused.

He nodded, and a smirk appeared on his lips. "Next time you do, dish out that line you said about the spark of good in him, and the argument will end much more quickly."

I felt my mouth drop open, and my cheeks turned red. "Well, thank you for the advice," I snapped.

Marcus didn't blink. "You're welcome."

I was about to attempt to come up with a witty retort, but my thoughts took a different turn. "Did you know that the Alchemists' kill witches and warlocks?"

Marcus' smirk finally vanished, replaced by a look of surprise that soon faded into curiosity. "Yes, I did. How did you find this out?"

"I have my sources," I replied.

Marcus frowned. "Mysterious much?"

I leaned forward more, to strengthen the intensity of my question. "Is that why you've been so adamant about me leaving?"

Marcus averted his eyes. "Partly."

"What's that supposed mean? Can you elaborate?" I asked.

"Of course I can, but that doesn't mean I want to."

I gave an exaggerated sigh.

Marcus shifted into a more comfortable position, and finally answered my question, meeting my eyes as he did so. "Knowing the dangers you faced was certainly part of the reason I wanted you to leave. But since we're advocators of truth today . . . the fact that you're a witch wasn't the only reason." He took a deep breath. "It's been nearly five years since I've had a family. I guess I really wanted you to leave because I felt like if you weren't loyal to the Alchemists . . . it'd be easier for you to be loyal to me."

His words were so honest, so open, that they surprised me. All along I'd suspected he was alone in everything, and all along I'd suspected he was unhappy because of it. I didn't have anything to say at first. I didn't know what to say. How could I be angry with him for pressuring me, when it was partly because he wanted a family again?

For some odd reason, Trey's words about me rang through my head: _"You're too likeable for your own good."_

That must've run in the family I decided, because Marcus was one of those people who was hard to hate. It didn't matter what he'd done or what he'd do, underneath every single one of his decisions lied good intentions.

"You look like you're over-analyzing everything I just said," Marcus told me.

I nodded. "Well, I know the truth about everything now, that's what matters." I looked to the clock and I looked down at my messy clothes. "I should get back to Amberwood and make myself presentable," I said. I knew that Marcus and I still had a lot of things to cover, a lot of unaddressed issues to discuss, but for now, I was content at where we were.

"Oh," I said, just before I closed the door to his bedroom. "You've been summoned," I said mischievously.

Marcus gave a laugh. "What?"

"Your official induction ceremony to the Melrose's is at Adrian's tonight. I don't want you driving yet, so I'll pick you up at six, okay?"

"Do I have a choice?" He asked, though he was still smiling.

"No," I said, and then I closed the door.

* * *

**I hope that you guys enjoyed this one. Next chapter will be the last one for this story!**


	28. Chapter 28 Cookies & Champagne

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**Cookies & Champagne**

When I arrived back at Amberwood, the first thing I did was take a shower. I still had a lot of residue from last night's fight on my skin, and the hot water helped to clear it. The steady sound of the shower also gave me time to think. I still had no plan regarding the Alchemists and I started to grow stressed.

_Later,_ I told myself. _Tonight's supposed to be fun._

Never would I have ever thought I'd be using logic like that. When I climbed out of the shower, I pulled on a pair of dark-washed jeans and a lacey navy tank top that Jill had gotten me once. The tank was meant to cling, which I determined wasn't all that bad because It wasn't low-cut or anything. It was different, and for the first time, I decided that was okay. I paired it with a soft grey cardigan and some nice boots that I had.

Feeling much more refreshed, I decided to call Wolfe and talk to him about the events of last night. Mainly, I wanted to hear from him that they'd found Ms. Terwilliger and that she was okay. I knew that Simone had "taken care of her" and I had been worried ever since.

"Wolfe here," came Wolfe's gruff response.

"Hey, it's Sydney. I just wanted to check up on Ms. Terwilliger. Is she all right?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. "She's all right. But she's decided to leave town for a little while."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "Why?"

"She wants to get away for a little bit. She doesn't want to have to be reminded of her sister's death whenever she goes to work."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered through the other end of the line.

"Don't be sorry that you killed Simone, girl! Be sorry that you had to. Be sorry that there are people as evil as her in the world. You did nothing more than what you had to do."

I sighed, finding an odd amount of comfort in his weird logic. "Is Ms. Terwilliger still in town? I'd like to say bye."

"She left really early this morning. But she did leave you a note. I think that she gave it to Mrs. Weathers to give to you."

My hopes sank, and I bid Wolfe goodbye. I retrieved the package Mrs. Weathers had given me on my way inside, and pulled out a flimsy piece of paper with a coffee stain on the front of it.

_Ms. Melbourne,_

_I really do hate to leave, but I feel as though I need a little time away. Being your teacher has been a very humbling experience for me. I have greatly enjoyed watching you grow from a young lady, into a strong and independent woman._

_Now that you have killed my sister, I'm sure that your powers are much stronger. When I first learned the news, I was worried. But now, I'm relieved. I've only ever met three other people that could handle as much power as you have now: Your mother, your father, and your brother. I had the privilege of knowing you and Marcus' parents when they were younger, and you can rest assure that you both have wonderful genes._

_Your mother and I were close friends up until her death. She was highly intelligent, and very sensitive. She didn't like to hurt others, unless it was a last resort. I see a lot of her in you, though you have some of your father too. I actually grew up next door to him. Michael was always a bit of a rebel, but he still managed to live his life by a code of honor. He was as much respected as he was feared. You and Marcus seem to have inherited the best qualities from both of your parents._

_Lastly, I want you to remember something. Though you're remarkably talented with your magic, it is not your most valuable gift. Your heart is by far the most remarkable thing about you. It remains fair and forgiving in the face of such evils as my sister. Don't let anyone tell you that your good heart isn't a gift, especially the Alchemists. I know that they will try to. They will try to tell you who and what to care for, but don't let them. There is no righter judgment than what comes from our hearts._

_Hope to see you again someday,_

_Jackie_

_P.S. In the package, I've enclosed some refunds for all of the coffee I've had you buy me. Use it to buy something for yourself._

I was surprised at the warm feelings the note had stirred within me. I would miss my history teacher a great deal. Over time I'd grown to call her a friend. But I knew that I would certainly see her again someday. I would see to it myself.

For some reason, the fact that she had known my parents didn't surprise me. She'd been on my side from day one, and I now knew the reason for that. I started to slide the note gently back into its envelope, but stopped when I realized there was more enclosed. I pulled out a one-hundred dollar bill and a DVD. The money was obviously the coffee refund she'd mentioned, but the DVD perplexed me. I pulled out my laptop and inserted the DVD into its drive. A video began to stream across my screen.

"You hit the red button to record, Sarah," a man's voice claimed. All I could see was the fabric of a navy shirt.

"I know that," a woman's voice said. "It's already on."

"Oh," said the male voice. A man began to scoot back from the camera, revealing himself as Michael, my father. The woman holding the camera was my mother. Michael motioned for Sarah to follow him with the camera, and began leading her down a dimly lit hallway. He opened a door, and in the room he'd entered, there was barely enough light to make out two beds with two sleeping silhouettes.

Michael flipped on a light in the corner of the room, and was met with a groan. The figure in the bed on the right rolled over petulantly. The figure in the bed on the left sat up, her eyes wide and awake. She looked about three years old, and she had wavy blonde hair that was messy from sleeping. I watched as a three-year-old me spoke to my parents.

"It's Christmas," three-year-old me exclaimed in a small voice. She held her tiny arms out as though she could reach Michael from where she was sitting. I saw him smile, and he walked over to pick her up into his large arms. Even at that age, I was dressed in all neutral colors. My pajamas were fluffy and off-white.

"It is sweetheart," he told her, burying his head into her hair. She giggled, and the innocence of the sound made tears spring into my eyes.

"Marcus, get up," said my mother from behind the camera. She sounded amused.

"Leave him here. He doesn't has to come," three-year-old me ordered.

Michael nodded. "Okay. Then you can have all of his presents."

Those words brought Marcus to life. He threw the covers back from his bed, and hopped up, rushing to tug on Michael's shirt.

"She gets _everything,_" a six or seven year old Marcus whined. I watched as I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to grow red from anger.

Michael rolled his eyes, and said the next words with utter seriousness. "She does, so hurry downstairs before she gets your presents."

Marcus didn't need to be told twice, and he rushed out of the room. I heard my mother laugh from behind the camera. I looked up at my father.

"Marcus no fun," I told Michael, a small lisp audible in my words.

Michael motioned for Sarah to follow him with the camera as he began walking down the hallway. "He's a boy," Michael told me, as though this explained everything.

I rubbed my eyes and nodded, and let him carry me all the way to the living room, where there was an enormous Christmas tree surrounded by presents. Marcus was seated in the corner of the room, his arms wrapped around a box that was nearly as big as him.

"This is _mine,_" he said to me, and anyone else who dare challenge him. His blue eyes were narrowed.

Michael set me down and I scooted over to where Marcus was guarding his present.

"It's _mine,_" I told him.

"Look at the tag," my mother said from behind the camera. "What does it say?"

Marcus attempted to grab the tag while still holding the present but failed, nearly dropping it. I grabbed the tag instead and stared it for a moment, my brow furrowing.

"You can't even read," Marcus said.

"Marcus," I stomped my foot, "shut your pie hole."

I heard my mother gasp from behind the camera. "Where did she learn to say something like that?"

Michael gave my mother a guilty look, though he seemed to find the whole thing funny. "I didn't think she was paying attention." He grabbed the tag and read Marcus' name. My brown eyes widened as my face fell.

"Told you," Marcus responded loftily, using the present to push me away. He pushed too hard and I fell back onto the carpet, in a sitting position. Marcus laughed at me, and I glowered. Suddenly, a piece of garland rose from the tree and hit him softly on the head. Marcus dropped the present in his confusion and Michael took it. Apparently Michael had made the garland hit his son.

"Be polite to your sister," he told Marcus, removing the garland from his hair.

"Yeah be polite to her," I said to Marcus.

"Shut up Sydney," he told me. "I still got the big present."

My mother laughed at this from behind the camera. "Michael, the camera's about to die," she then said.

Michael turned from where he was helping Marcus unwrap the present on the floor. "I charged it last night."

"Someone unplugged it," my mother said, her tone disapproving.

Down on the floor, Marcus and I had stilled. I grabbed his arm and gasped. He shook his head, and brought a finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet.

Then the video went black, signaling the end to my glimpse of my real family. I wiped a few tears from my face, and tried to stop more from falling. Had my parents known what would happen to them in this video? Did they know Simone's husband was after them? Hatred boiled within my core. I'd never known Simone's husband, but I hated him. I hated what he had done to our family, and I hated what he had taken from us. The hatred I felt begin to grow into a rage I'd never felt before. My dorm started to grow blurry. I couldn't see straight, I was so mad. A loud crack startled me, and I snapped out of my irate state.

I walked over to my coffee maker, and was surprised to see that the pot now had a slender crack running along its side. I swallowed, and walked over to look in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed and my eyes were almost . . . wild. Slowly but surely, I watched them return to normal. I looked to the broken coffee pot on the other side of the room, and thought back to my inexplicable amount of anger, the way it had made my blood boil.

Had_I_ made the coffee pot break? No, no I hadn't, I decided. I'd said no spell of any sort. Feelings alone couldn't cause my magic to lash out.

I took a deep breath and shook my head, deciding to go talk to Jill and Angeline. I only had half an hour before time to leave for Adrian's anyway.

When I arrived at the dorm, Jill opened the door, and it became clear she was alone.

"Where's Angeline?" I asked her.

Jill smiled. "She and Trey went to go practice some fighting together. Come on in." She smoothed down her light blue shirt and led me through the door. She sat down on her bed, and I sat down on Angeline's, facing her.

"How have you been?" I asked her. She and I hadn't had time to talk in very long time.

"I've been . . . um . . ." she fiddled with her hands and looked down. "Last night . . . Eddie and I . . ."

"You kissed him, he kissed you. He thinks that you only kissed him because Adrian was kissing me when in reality you both just wanted to kiss each other." I took a breath after my words, and watched as Jill's mouth dropped open into a pretty little o shape.

"How did you know?" She asked me, when she could find her voice.

"I ran into him this morning while I was . . ." I caught myself before I said the two words.

"Sneaking out?" Jill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Adrian didn't like that you left."

I looked down. "I had to."

Jill smiled. "I said he didn't like it, not that he was mad."

I looked up, relived. Then I felt myself smiling. "Back to you and Eddie. I convinced him that you actually wanted to kiss him. Do you think you guys will . . . where do you think it's going to go from here?" I really had no idea what she and Eddie would do. It wasn't just the fact that he was her guardian anymore. Now it was also the fact that they'd be hurting Angeline if they were to jump into a relationship too soon.

Jill hung her head, letting a few light brown curls fall in front of her face. "I don't really know." She looked up. "But at least I know how he feels now." She smiled.

"True," I told her.

"I can't believe he likes me though," she said. "I mean, not Angeline, not you, not anyone else, just _me._" Her light green eyes sparkled, and her cheeks flushed.

"Well, I can definitely see lots of reasons for him to like you," I said. "I can't believe it's taken him this long to get it out. I nearly had to smack him to get him to believe _you_ liked _him._"

Jill grinned. "You sound like Adrian," she told me.

I stilled. "How?"

"Both of you are always there for me, and always make me feel better when I'm down." She looked away suddenly, her thoughts seeming to take a different turn. I waited for her to ask me whatever question she was preparing.

"So are you and Marcus getting along?"

I frowned. That certainly wasn't what I'd been expecting. "Yes," I told her. "It's a bit awkward at times, but we're pushing through it. He was my friend before I knew he was my brother, so that's made it a little easier."

Jill gave me what was supposed to be a genuine smile. "That's good," she said.

"What is it?" I asked her, concerned. Something in her eyes had grown sad.

"He's just so much better to you than Lissa is to me. I mean, he's searched for you, and he found you, and now he wants to be your big brother and look out for you. Lissa's ignored me, and is probably relived I'm still in Palm Spings, and has never made any effort to be a big sister to me. She really doesn't seem to like me."

Her words tugged at my heart and I walked over to sit next to her on her bed. "Jill, look at me," I insisted. She finally obeyed.

"Marcus and Lissa are two different people," I began, "in two very different situations. Marcus thought he had no one left and then discovered he had a sister. He set out to find me. I'm his connection to our parents, to what our life was supposed to be like. Lissa had no idea her father cheated on her mother, and she found out in a very sudden and painful way. It's not you that she doesn't like. It's the whole situation itself. You've given her no reason not to like you, so don't think that it's your fault because it's not. I bet that one day Lissa will warm up to the idea of you as her sister, but for now, don't beat yourself up over the fact that she hasn't."

I willed her to understand my words, because I meant them. It hadn't occurred to me that it would be hard for her to watch my relationship with my long lost sibling go well.

Jill nodded and a small smile began to form on her lips. "Thank you," she told me.

I felt a smile of my own forming. "You're welcome."

Angeline came through the door then, looking like she'd just run a marathon. She gave us a brief greeting and then set off for the showers. Once she'd returned, she was good as new.

"What's up?" She asked us.

I stood up. "Just a little family chat before we head over to Adrian's." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jill shoot me a grateful look. "You ready to go?" I asked Angeline.

She nodded, and the three of us set off. I reminded them that I'd promised to pick up Marcus. When we arrived at his apartment I sent him a text to tell him we were outside. He came out his apartment, looking a lot better than when I'd seen him this morning. His movements were still slow and stiff, but he seemed to be getting around better than he had last night.

"He didn't look it last night," Angeline began in that bluntly honest way of hers, "but he's cute."

Jill nodded in agreement with Angeline. "Yeah. He is."

I resisted the urge to bang my head on the steering wheel. The last thing I needed was Jill and Angeline discussing how "cute" my brother was. It was probably a good thing that I'd had Jill and Angeline ride in the back so that Marcus could sit next to me. Marcus opened the passenger's door, and climbed inside. He greeted everyone, and not long after the questions started.

"You can do magic right?" Angeline asked.

Marcus shot me a look and then responded to Angeline. "Yes, I can."

Jill leaned forward. "What kind of spells can you and Sydney do?"

Marcus smiled. "There's a spell for everything. Levitation, fire, ect."

Angeline frowned. "None of the humans back at the keepers could do that."

Marcus' brow furrowed. "The keepers?"

"Oh Lord," I muttered, grateful to be left out of this conversation.

When we arrived at Adrian's apartment, all of last night's memories hit me with full force. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, just sitting in park. Jill and Angeline had already hopped out of the car, and I looked over to Marcus who still hadn't moved. For some reason he was facing me, and appeared to be amused.

I frowned. "What?" I asked.

He looked me over. "Nice to see you finally decided to change clothes," he told me, and then he got out of Latte.

"So much for big-brotherly support," I muttered.

Swallowing my nerves, I followed the group up to the door which was answered by Adrian. He grinned and leaned forward to mess up Jill's hair. She ducked away and laughed as she and Angeline went inside. Marcus was about to follow, when Adrian blocked his path.

"Marco," Adrian said, "so glad you got to see me again."

Marcus smirked. "I guess I'm just lucky."

I sighed and pushed past both of them as I made my way into the apartment.

"Running from me again, Sage?" Adrian called from behind me.

"Oh God," Marcus muttered irritably. He quickly followed the others into the kitchen. I could smell Eddie's cookies all the way in the living room, which brought a small smile to my lips. Slowly, I turned to face Adrian, who was studying me.

He crossed his arms and took a few steps forward. "The worst part about you sneaking out was that the first face I saw this morning was Castile's," he said, deadpan.

I sighed. "I just needed to get away, okay? Things got kind of . . . heated last night and I needed some time to process everything." I was conscious of Adrian edging closer as I spoke. He was only a few inches from me when I'd finished. The dark green shirt he was wearing pulled out his eyes, and his dark jeans did wonders for his long body.

Adrian reached out and brushed my hair behind my shoulders. He rested his hands behind my neck. "I understand Sage," he said with a smile. "But I do want to wake up next to you at least once." He grinned. "Without your khaki pants on."

I flushed. "Someday," I promised, reaching out to push down a strand of his hair that was standing up. As soon as I removed my hand from it, the strand stood up again. I smiled.

His grin widened. "How about tomorrow?"

"No," I said pointedly. "I can't. Not yet."

"Because you aren't free?" He asked seriously, eyeing the golden lily plastered on my cheek.

I nodded. "When I wake up next to you, I don't want to feel guilty. I don't want to have to sneak out. I want to be happy, and nothing else."

Adrian leaned forward so that our foreheads were touching. I took a deep breath, taking in everything about this moment. His smile, his scent, the steady rising and falling of his chest. My thoughts drifted to half a year ago, when I'd thought there was nothing more important than my job. I nearly laughed at how mistaken I had been. There were so many more important things than working for people who didn't appreciate you.

Friends, family, and love, were what really mattered, because it was truly impossible to be happy without them.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused me and Adrian to pull back. Eddie stood in the doorway of the kitchen wearing a white apron. He was also holding a spatula.

"Marcus was right," Eddie said. "It _was_ too quiet in here." He held his spatula up higher. "Hurry before my cookies get cold."

Adrian sighed and he and I followed Eddie into the kitchen. Angeline, Jill, and Marcus were seated at the kitchen table, devouring Eddie's cookies.

"If the cookies taste as good as Castile looks in that apron, I'll paint a picture in their honor," Adrian exclaimed, letting me have the seat next to Marcus before sliding into the seat next to me. Eddie took off his apron and sat next to Jill. I reached across the table to grab a cookie from the plate. The cookies appeared to be chocolate chip, and I bit into one.

"This is the best cookie I've ever tasted," I told the gang.

"It's probably the only cookie you've ever tasted," Adrian remarked. I rolled my eyes, and took another cookie, trying to ignore the calories. Another one of Eddie's cookies wouldn't hurt, right?

Eddie grinned at us. "I'm glad that you guys like them," he said.

Marcus nodded. "What brand are they?"

Eddie didn't blink. "I mixed them from scratch. I wouldn't buy prepackaged stuff."

Adrian swallowed a mouthful of cookie more quickly than was healthy before he spoke. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with prepackaged food, Castile. I'd be dead if it didn't exist."

Marcus nodded. "I'd be dead too. I couldn't cook to save my life."

Angeline frowned. "But aren't you supposed to be really good at chemistry and stuff?"

Marcus looked a bit offended. "I'm _incredible_ at chemistry, but culinary arts wasn't part of Alchemist training."

I looked at Eddie. "It wasn't part of guardian training either. Where did you learn to cook?" I asked him.

"His mom taught him," Jill said happily. "They used to bake together when Eddie was little."

Eddie looked amused that Jill had answered for him. "You're not supposed to tell them that kind of stuff," he said to her, smiling.

Jill flushed and looked down, trying to hide her own smile. Adrian got up from the table and grabbed a bottle of champagne from a cabinet. He returned with the bottle and six glasses. He set one glass in front of everyone, and saw my protest forming before I could get it out.

"I know, Sage, I know. Don't start the underage drinking lecture. This stuff isn't strong enough to get anyone more than a little tipsy." He poured some in everyone's glass.

Marcus shot him a look. "And what is this for, exactly? Are you feeling sentimental or are you tired of drinking alone?"

"Both," Adrian responded. "After all, this _is_ your induction ceremony into the Melrose's." He turned to the rest of the gang. "Melroses'," He nodded at us. "Let us toast to our newest member, Marco Melrose." He held up his glass and the rest of us did the same.

"Marcus," my brother corrected. "My name's _Marcus._"

Adrian gave him a look of false understanding. "I know, Marco."

We all clunked our glasses together and just as I'd brought mine to my lips there was a knock on the door. Adrian groaned and left to answer it, champagne glass still in hand.

"Who could it be?" Eddie asked.

"Maybe the neighbors smelled you cookies," I teased. I could hear voices coming from the living room, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. When Adrian returned with our visitor, I nearly dropped my champagne glass, as did everyone else.

Abe Mazur stood before us, wearing a ridiculous indigo colored scarf that matched an indigo handkerchief he had in his suit-pocket. He was one of the most influential Moroi in the world. He was deceitful, arrogant, and he didn't mind twisting a few arms to get what he wanted accomplished. I'd once made a deal with him, which he'd blackmailed me with for quite some time. Last time I'd seen him though, I'd informed him that his blackmailing days were over. He'd listened, and hadn't caused me any trouble since, although he didn't need to. Abe Mazur brought trouble wherever he went.

"Well, well, well," he said, his dark eyes glinting with mischief, "don't you all look comfy?" He gave me an especially big smile. "So nice to see you, Ms. Sage."

I nearly rolled my eyes as I stood up. "What brings you here, Abe?"

His attention was now on something behind me. "Oh good," Abe exclaimed, ignoring my question, "I see you've finally found your brother."

I felt my mouth drop open. How in the world was it that Abe Mazur knew Marcus was my brother? More importantly, how _long_ had he known Marcus was my brother?

"What do you want?" Adrian asked Abe crossly. "You've already interrupted my kick-ass toast. Whatever bad news you've come to deliver, just get it out."

"Oh, I don't bring bad news," Abe said, grabbing a glass from Adrian's cabinet and pouring some champagne of his own. "I bring the opposite actually." He took a sip of champagne and looked at all of us in turn. "The hereditary law's been changed and the leader of the radical group has been captured. This mission's over."

And like that, my high hopes crumbled as fear and dread took over. I wasn't sure where exactly it started, but an ache took siege of my body, and it took every ounce of self-control I had to prevent my knees from falling out from under me.

* * *

**Let me start by saying that there will be a sequel, which you owe all to yourselves and your support. It's going to take me a little while to write an outline for it, but as soon as I finish that, I'll upload the first chapter. (:**

**Secondly, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has read, followed, or reviewed this story. You guys keep me writing. I'm so happy that you all have enjoyed this story so much, and I appreciate all of you. Your kind words have made many of my days. (:**

**Lastly, I've enjoyed writing this just as much as you guys have enjoyed reading it. I'm so thankful to Richelle Mead for creating such a vivid, and fun world to explore. (:**

**-Savannah**


	29. Chapter 29 AN : Sequel!

**AN: Just posting this to let you all know that the sequel is up, and that I hope you like it! It should be on my page and it's called The Fiery Heart. (:**


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